Tashigi's Heart
by Abigail Skywalker
Summary: This story is basically Tashigi's intense and adventurous Journal of her journey to and in the grand line. I have written it in the way she thinks and acts. How she met Zoro and how he changes her. This will eventually be a Zoro/Tashigi fanfiction, with a little bit of Smoker/Tashigi. Action first Romance later, that is the way to write! Enjoy!
1. My Purpose

**I do not own One Piece, but I do feel that the Strawhats are sometimes closer to me than any of my friends could ever be. Isn't that sad.  
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**Anyway! I love the idea of Zoro and Tashigi being together, or liking each other, so here it comes. If you don't like it, read this story and you soon will. :D  
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**I prefer writing action rather than romance though so you'll have to be patient. Enjoy.**

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Tashigi's Heart: My Purpose!

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On that terrible day, the day when I thought I would die. I saw Pirates for the first time. I saw them walk into a beautiful building and start to trash the place. And then they found someone. I remembered thinking, _Why can't someone stop this? Why is this happening? Why haven't these people been taken care of? Why are they hurting people? They're not allowed they should be in jail!_

It was 'fore lack of this 'of justice' that someone died in front of me. And because of someone's lust of an object in a hidden box had driven them into this crazy lust. Is this what insanity looks like? They wanted that thing so badly they murdered for it. I couldn't see it, what they were holding, my glasses had been knocked off in the scuffle but it looked like some sort of weird fruit. They didn't just leave when they got what they wanted, I saw them. They thrust an innocent victim onto their blade and laughed. They cried out in victory, and smirked at their comrades in crime.

"I have it at last!" "It's mine! It's mine!"

Not a second was wasted watching one man fall to the ground, he fell and lay there in his blood, he fell right in front of me. I remember thinking 'many tears would have fallen if his family had known', but nobody knew, just me, and my tears were the only ones that knew the truth and I shred them for him. And I didn't even know his name. They left with grins on their faces, with coarse laughs they kicked down doors, smashed and tore everything aside that was in their way. Hollow cries of sorrow, yells of pain, and screams of anger could be heard from everywhere, and I could do nothing, but shake in fear and hide.

I didn't understand._ Why?! What was that for?! How could they?! Where they even human?_

Once they had left, I got up from my hiding place.

_Is he alive? Is he still bleeding? Maybe I can save him?_

I have never seen blood spilling out from somebody before. So Much Blood... This was real. This was really happening.

_Where do I start? How! How! How could I help_?

I step toward him and slide in his blood and hit my head on the floor. My last thought was, _Why am I so clumsy?_

I can't remember what happened afterwards, except someone told me when I came to that I was fortunate to be alive. _Alive what did that mean?_ I felt hollow, and I could taste blood in my mouth, I must have fallen and bitten my tongue. _Why had I survived when so many didn't._ I hated myself, for my own pathetic attitude and fear.

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After I had been allowed to leave the hospital, my mother insisted that I never go back to the place of attack. However, telling a child to never do something just makes them want to do it more. So, later that night I went back to the location of the attack. I was 13 years old, and I wasn't going to be afraid.

There were barriers up everywhere, but they didn't seem to take into account that some people can climb up barriers, and some people were small enough to slip through small window. The Shock really kicked in when I actually saw what some of those men had done to the place.

I decided then and there that hate isn't such a bad thing, unlike what they teach you in school.I used to feel sorry for some Pirates who were hung, or killed by the marines, but those pirates were cruel, and nasty and I think have no right to live. Not after what I have just seen.

I shut my eyes to the darkness, and sat down in the ruined room. I could still imagine the smell of fear, of death, and hear the sounds and cries of the living before they passed on. It was just a breath away. It could have been me. I looked up, the moonlight lit up the room and revealed all the things that were no longer of any value. I had only been in the museum as a part of a school trip. I had been reading the inscriptions on all this priceless items. They had only taken a few, the rest the had thought would be funny to destroy. I picked up an old painting that had been ripped off the wall. It had a tear right through the middle. I got out my sketchbook and drew what I could see. After centurys of looking after this place, it had been damaged beyond repair. I looked up into the moonlight again.

_What else hides in the darkness waiting to strike. I hate them. They had no right. I hate them._

**"I hate you all!"**

It was time to leave. I couldn't believe how quickly a place could change.

Once I got home I found I just couldn't sleep, my mind was whirling with questions.

**I can** hate them all, but it still doesn't change the way that I acted in that situation, I wasn't brave enough to try to help. I remember shaking with rage and grief, with tears streaming down my dirty face. I wasn't strong, I wasn't brave, I wasn't good enough to help. I made up excuses, like I'm only one girl, and maybe someone else might come along. But now that I look back on everything that happened that day I wonder have much of a difference I might have made if I had thrown something at one of the men, or at least pulled the man down out of the murderers reach.

Coming away from that I remember thinking this all the time. '_I am weak, I am alone, I am just another **weak woman. **Why was I born a like this? I didn't want to live a life of frailty and weakness? I want to be **free, to fly, to sail, to walk,** wherever I wish, and not have a string of people worrying for me_.'

'**Men are free,** they go wherever they please, they might have some burdens, but they are not held back by them, they are** free. **

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**Many years have past s**ince that disaster, and my town hasn't had anything like it since then.

I have decided I want to be remembered as a person who challenged the world, someone who wasn't afraid to do and try something different. To be **remembered** and **respected** by the best and most courageous of people, those who will stand up for others who can't defend themselves.'

I'm sixteen, and I'm already sick of the looks I get from when I'm with my mother. I wish people will just stop assuming that I'll be just like her. She is beautiful and knows how to look good in anything, but I'm not like her in any way, and I don't want to be. She can get anything she wants from a man by dressing a certain way and by flirting. I think it's slightly disgusting and decided that I couldn't stay with her in the same house whenever she had her weird friends over. I just can't live around people I don't trust.

And so I've taken up with going to the library more often than anyone else. I spend time there whenever I get the chance. I read novels, biographies, autobiographies, newspapers, and documentaries, basically everything. I love reading of adventures and thrilling stories of the past, and when I start something exciting I find it hard to put down, which is why I'm now being laughed at so much at school. I'm known as the 'Blind Book Worm', everyone thinks it's funny, especially since I fell down the stairs because I was reading and didn't see where I was going, and again at the main school hall after collecting my award for best historical report. I can't believe how unlucky I am.

So, yes, I'm a fool that falls down a lot, but I wouldn't want to give my books and stories up for anything. What do girls my age talk about anyway? Nothing, but rubbish and guys and the clothes they wear, and what they refuse to eat. What idiots! I'm ashamed to be one of them. I couldn't care about stuff like that it would be a waste of my time.

I have decided I don't want to fall in love, it hasn't helped my mother much. I never knew my father and mum hasn't ever said much about him, other than the fact that he liked to fight. Has my mother heard herself resently, she fights all the time with her newest boyfriend. Yes, I'll admit that mum has provided me with a lot of money to help with my education, but the thought of receiving it from these saps of men is just distribing.

I don't want money, mum loves it. She lives for it, but is never satisfied with anything. I don't see why people would want something that can not be treasured it has to be of value something either beautiful or useful.

I don't want fame, I don't want thousands of people seeing and criticizing my face and the way I dress. I just want to be **respected** and able to see the hand of **justice at work**.

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**_Well I hope you liked my first chapter, I will be character building for Tashigi first, then I'll introduce the other characters._**

**_ Author note. Abigail Skywalker :D_**


	2. Reflections

**I don't own One Piece. If I did I wouldn't make all the girls dress like slutty models. with their boobs popping out everywhere.**

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Tashigi's heart: Reflecting on death.

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That man died because he couldn't defend himself. So I need a **weapon**, I need a shield, I **need protection** against injustice. I studied many forms of fighting, I read and read the data base dry. I like to read and study the meanings of words. The name given to a weapon speaks to my soul. I love the craftsmanship that goes into a blade, the obvious pride the blacksmith has for his work shows in everyone of his creations. **I want a sword! **

I have decided to take up the sword. A sword can cut, defend, deflect, it puts your words into actions. It reflects your soul's intentions. Much to my 'peaceful' mother's dismay, I will become a fighter. She keeps on saying that I'm disgraceful and that I'm so much like my father, but I don't really care if I am or not. Because I will find my own sense of justice and purpose in life, I am not my mother or my father, and I will not become them.

**My ranting**

**I hate those people with lazy, and stale hearts**

**I hate dishonour being shown to the elderly and **

**I hate the young being ignored and shoved to the side.**

**I hate cowards **

**I hate Pirates!**

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**I work hard.**

**I study everyday.**

**I will be a blessing.**

**I will be useful.**

**I will be kind and compassionate.**

**I will show mercy and love to others.**

**I vow to give people kindness**

**bring them hope and peace that they might never have felt before.**

**I will not be selfish. **

**I will not be proud.**

**I will not be wasteful**

**I will not throw my life away for nothing.**

**I love to show trust and honour.**

**I love to give to those who need it**

**I hate injustice!**

**I hate Pirates!**

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My second Soul.

I have found the perfect sword. I fell in love with it at first sight. After training so long with different swords, I suddenly knew that this one was the one for me. The name she has been given is **Shigure**, She is an elegant, beautiful and a fine katana. She has stiff green leather wrapped and crossed around a pure ivory coated handle. Her metallic blade reflects all the light it catches as if it can't stand the darkness in this world. She glides through air as if she was an extension to my arm.

She is a part of me already. Her sheathe is just as pure, it is shield to protect her. She will be my sword. My** honour**. My **hope,** and my **mission. H**er name means "**rain in late autumn" **Autumn is a time when things are dyeing, they shrivel up or are torn, broken, blown and crushed. The time has come for the cruelty that has been aloud in this world to be crushed. She and I will wash away the injustice that we see, like the rain washes away the dirt off the streets.

**I hate injustice!**

**I hate Pirates!**

I have joined the marines as a **swordswoman**. **Swordswoman **(this word is incorrect in spell check it has a thick red line under it, so sexist)

I think I will feel **more free** in the company of those who share my dreams. We can go out into the world and cut down those who defile it, and shield those who protect it. I'm going to search for adventure, and I'm really looking forward to it.

On my first day at the marine base a lot of the men **laughed** at me. Well they couldn't take me seriously, I have always been rather small. They said I would quit by the end of the week. Well! I showed them! I kept up with everything those men did and did more. I wasn't given any special treatment, and I didn't want it. **I don't want it**. I wanted to be treated as all the men were. I wanted to be equal and so I drove myself to the limit, and became the best in my class quickly. I always listen to my superiors. I always practice a new move until it's perfect.

My hard work will one day get me somewhere.

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Wow! I was surprised to be promoted so soon, but they don't know how much this means, I'm so excited! They are recognizing my talents, showing me **respect,** and treating me as an **equal**! I love this. I've never felt like this before, filled with hope, peace, and joy!

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I turned 22 this year, I can't believe how much time has passed since I became a Marine.

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I have been transferred to Loguetown, where I met my new commanding officer 'Captain Smoker'. He seams to have a nasty rough attitude, but he has a strong heart for justice. I really admire him,** I'm glad **I was sent here.

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I can't believe it he has made me a "Sergeant Major". I won't let him down. **I will show no mercy** to those who use their strength to take advantage of others. **I will show no mercy** to those who laugh at the law. **I will show no mercy** to pirates.

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**Well, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! :D **

**Abigail Skywalker**


	3. My thoughts on Romance

**I don't own One Piece. **

**I hope by writing this story people will come to appreciate some of the other characters of the One Piece world not just the strawhats.**

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Tashigi's Heart: My thoughts on Romance.

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I have never felt the need for a man, I don't want to get married, and I don't want to have sex for the sake of it, I don't want to be driven by lust into someone's arms. If I am to ever love or marry anyone, I want it to be based on respect. I want him to be able to look at me and smile in pride. I want to be able to trust him in all things.

Unfortunately, there is no such man, well I haven't seen any yet.

My 'loving' Mother is constantly sending me letters and messages. Most of them will have something along these lines written in each one.

'So darling! Have you got your eyes on someone? When are you going to settle down?' 'Sweety! Have you found someone you really like?' 'Where would your dream Wedding Island be, if you were going to get married?' 'How many children would you like? Do you prefer a rich and generous man or the strong and handsome devil?'... She drives me insane! The thought doesn't cross her mind that I might not want to walk into town with the mindset of shopping for men or looking for the perfect man. Don't get me wrong I do love my mother, I never met my father so I can't compare my parents, but is it really necessary to talk about this? It is all very loving and gentle banter, but is it really wrong that I don't want to think about it. I don't want to be in love it's far to much hassle. All I have to do is take a glance at history to find out how stupid those who are** in love **act. **They have torn** apart families, communities, and countries for their so called **love**. **They become selfish**, their hearts are closed off to everyone else's needs and desires around them. I don't want to be an selfish idiot.

Is a man a woman's treasure, her safety, her protector? **No**! Nor do I think that all a woman's dreams will be satisfied once he comes into her life. Maybe in a perfect world, but no man lives up to this expectation. Women throughout the ages have all been brought up to believe that they are only worth something if they are **with a man**, or can be married off to the rich and righteous man, or an intelligent, a noble man, or a handsome, strong man. Many men beat their wives or lovers into submission or have filled their heads with lies, telling them that 'they have no one else to go to' or 'do they really think anyone else would love them like they do'.** I hate liars!** And that is what those men are. I will not stand for it.

I will not be a **shadow** that walks behind a man, if I am to love, I wish to** walk beside him**. I want to be able to turn my head and see him smile and agree with my suggestions, to speak with me and ask for my opinions. I don't want to complicate things with gifts, special days, and romance. I would be happy if he just spoke to me as a trusted friend. And I would repay him back in full. I am loyal and I would never betray him.

Now that I come to think about it; Captain Smoker listens to what I have to say. Ha ha! He says exactly what he's thinking, he never holds back, and even asks me for my opinions. Well who knows, I might fall for him one of these days and he might even... yeah right!... that thought would probably have never even crossed his mind. Ahhhh! And why am I thinking about it! He doesn't see me like that. Come on who would? I'm so short-sighted that I always need my heavy glasses on, and my... my feet are flat... sometimes when I'm not wearing the right shoes I trip over. So stupid, I know. But he does tend to look past that, does... does he like me?

Well, to be absolutely honest with myself, if he ever did, I wouldn't say no. I trust him, I respect him, and I would be honoured, but then again at the same time why bother, I mean it's not like I would even fall in love with him. No, I think it would be best if I just remain single for my lifetime. I'm not romantic so there is no need to pretend to be. Oh well then it's decided! I will never fall in love!

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**I don't really know much about Tashigi's real life, but for the sake of this story this is what I'm working with. Tashigi has been raised by her mother, who is extremely talented and enjoys the pleasures of life. Her mother is a bit of a very friendly individual, who delights in meeting new people, preferably rich and fortunate. She has always been kind to Tashigi, and raised her well, but Tashigi's personality is more like her 'Unknown' Father's than her mother, and she finds her mother's drive unrelatible and distrubing. **

**Tashigi prefers to do things that she sees as useful to others. Whereas her mother is a lot more selfish, and looks for things that will directly benefit her.**

**Please Write a Review, I love receiving them. :D**


	4. An Unexpected Meeting

**I don't own One Piece.**

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Tashigi's Heart: An unexpected meeting.

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I was shocked when I heard the word going round that, Smoker and I were actually in love with one another. Well, I'll admit that I admire Captain Smoker, but I have never felt anything other than that admiration and awe at his abilities. So he doesn't count as my first... well my first …. whatever. Oh gosh! just forget it! Why am I thinking about this?

Anyway! Today when I was walking back from dropping off Shigure at the smithy. I met some nasty pieces of work who thought it would be fun to try and threaten me. I couldn't believe it, didn't they know who I was, what I stood for.

The nosy crowd gathered around us, people always seamed to be up for watching a fight, a beating, a hanging. It doesn't matter where you go people's curiosity and desire to see someone hurt always overcomes their sense of love, forgiveness, and compassion. I tried to convince them, these two thugs, to just leave me alone, but they thought I would be an easy target. Well, I suppose my appearance does lend itself to the role of being the feeble office girl. What with my purple rimmed glasses and small figure I'm not all to surprised with their reaction. I have dealt with every low-life thug and pirate who has challenged me here in Logue Town. I am gracious and try to give them a second chance and to apologize, but their hated of authority and contempt for the well-being of others always seems to fry their pathetic minds into acting like animals. So I took them down.

As expected when a crowd sees an obvious victor, they cheer for them, and they did so for me. "Woah! She did it!" "That was Awesome!" It was then that a flash of green caught my eye and I turned to look for it. Unfortunately, this is when my foot decided to get caught in between some of the cobbled stones in the road and I fell flat on my face. Well I suppose it was funny for everyone watching, they burst into laughter, no one tried to help me up. That's gentlemanly behaviour for you, as soon as I fell they started mocking me.

And what was worse I couldn't see, everything became a thick colour filled blur, I had dropped my glasses. I was on my hands and knees trying to find them, when I heard a deep man's voice calling out from above me. "Heya, here you go."

I looked up and saw what had caught my eye just moments before._ The top of this man's head was green... or was it his hair? Ha! How unusual? Oh! He had my glasses too!_ "Thanks! That's so kind."_ Wow, it wasn't very often that you got to meet people like that here. He had actually bent down to pick up my glasses for me. I heard him suck in a sudden breath. Oh gosh! _I lifted my hand to my face_. maybe I have a cut or something on my face, oh well, I'll fix it up later... What is he waiting for..._ "Um, may I have my glasses?"

I looked into his hands, and saw a bent purple metal frame. "Ahhh! My glasses!"

"Oh! Crap! I... I didn't mean!"

"Oh! Those were really expensive! How could you be so mean!"_ I can't believe that he just did that. I would have prefered it if he had just left them on the ground and let me find them. MEN are so careless!_

"It was an accident I swear it!" _Why did he sound so desperate? Was he in trouble for these sorts of things often. Ah! Just like a man._

"You had better pay for those!" I looked up into his face. I couldn't quite see his expression, but he did seem to be generally sorry, what with all his stuttering and apologizing. I started to feel sorry for him. I turned around and picked up my temporary sword. He didn't seem like a bad person. I wrapped it up in its cloth, and tucked it under my arm. I started turning away, but he continued to follow me._ Did he think I would turn him in for breaking my glasses? How pathetic._

"Wait! Hold on! Excuse me! Where are we Going?" _Well I don't know where you're going, but I'm going to do some more training._

"I still can't believe you Broke my Glasses."

"I told you, I'll pay you back okay? Gees!" _A guy with an attitude like that, paying me back money. Yeah right._

"You'll pay me back. You don't look like you've got any money. Am I right?"

"Well, that's true I am kinder broke." I could hear the regret in his voice.

"I knew it!" I can tell by the look on your face that your pretty desperate." What is it? Does your sick mother need medicine? Or has your wife run away with another man to leave you raising the children all by yourself?!"

"Hey! Hold on!" _ He seemed very anger or worried about something and was obviously in a lot of trouble, poor guy. Well he had had the intention of helping me out earlier so maybe I'll let him off._

"Don't explain! Just come with me."

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**What do you think so far? What would you like to read more of? Let me know? :D**


	5. Being Watched

**I Don't own One Piece, and I'm glad I don't. I don't have to spend half my life righting a massive story that never seems to end. Wow! What pressure.**

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Anime Episode: 49

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Tashigi's Heart: Being Watched

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Last Chapter - "_Don't explain! Just come with me."_

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On that day the blazing hot sun was doing his very best to burn the small amount of clouds that were in the sky away. It was a glorious day, one to be enjoyed, the sun was not too hot though. There was a cool breeze that blew through the town, straight up from the sea. I loved the way it made the air smell of salt, how the birds basked in the different air currents, effortlessly gliding from one to another, and how the Barracks' flag fluttered and flapped in the wind.

Coming up the hill to the marine base was one of my favorite walks. Seeing the beautiful, white building standing firm and true at the top of the hill, like a beacon for any who needs it. The marine base was pristine, clean, and tidy, something a lot of places are lacking in.

On that day it was different, I had an unemployed guest. Well... more like a possible new recruit. A very ungrateful one. Anyway, once I entered the building and turned down a few corridors, I lost him and had to look for him for 10 minutes before I found him. I don't understand how someone could get lost so easily, I'm the one who's short-sighted in fact it was a miracle in itself that I found him again, that green hair was a helpful give away. After I found him I brought him back to the area I had intended to bring him.

I picked up a broom and bucket and pointed to the mop. "Here, Lucky for you, our Janitor quit this morning."

I look up into his blurry face, "Once you start working for the Marines you'll never have to worry about money problems ever again, There will always be a job here for you." _That should cheer him up, being given a job just like that._

"Not a Chance in Hell! I don't work for Marines!" His voice sounded rough and course as if he was embarrassed, angry or maybe both.

_How dare he! Why was he getting anger with me?! Who did he think he is?_

"You can't leave now! I expect to be paid back for my glasses, maybe when you finish cleaning up the floors you can work on cleaning up your attitude if this is the way your going to repay my kindness."

_Clean up you attitude! Clean up your face! Clean up your clothes! Wash your mouth out!_ I could tell he had been drinking lately he smelt like he had recently be drowning in booze. Ahhhh, disgusting! Cleaning would definitely be a good job for him it would help him to see dirty he actually was. His cloths smelt like he wore them everyday. He smelt like booze, unwashed body, a faint smell of smoke, and ... the sea? Well anyway I was doing everyone a favor by taking him off the public streets and giving him a job to help him stay out of trouble. At least now he might start smelling of detergent.

"Ah Crap!" _Wait! was that him? Did he just said that, that despicable!..._

"Sergeant Major! It's time for training."

_ Saved by the call..._

"I'll be back to check on you." I turned away from him and followed the others to the training grounds. In some ways I was glad to out of his presence. He had such a selfish attitude and totally disregarded my offer. I did see him turn my way and give me a second glance when the two officers addressed me as 'Sergeant' but then most men do. They don't think it realistic for a woman to join the marines, they think it's a joke or a skit for fun. It's only when I actually start giving orders that people take me seriously.

During practice today I had the weirdest feeling, I was doing my best as usual and going through the steps well, but the feeling of dread wouldn't leave me, the sense that I was being watched, but whenever I took a glance around no one out of the ordinary was there, but I was sure that someone or something was watching my every move like a predator watching it's prey. My fears were confirmed later on that day when some of the Men started shouting from the outer courtyard that they had seen Roronoa Zoro in the corridors. Roronoa Zoro! The pirate Hunter! In a marine base! How did that happen? How did he get in?

We Swordsmen, from the courtyard, rushed back into the halls after hearing the news, preparing for the worst, but we caught no sign of him. Either he hadn't been there to begin with or he had found what he wanted and left. Even if that had been the case what was he doing in this building in the first place? I ordered the men to do a sweep of the building and inspect any suspicious characters.

Then I remembered the new Janitor, and walked back to where he was supposed to be working. He was no longer there, but there were two men lying on the floor who had been knocked unconscious. And a group of worried on-lookers were checking them over.

"What happened here!" I bent down to check on them.

"They seemed to have been attacked, but there is no sign of who's responsible."

I glanced around for the green-haired stranger, but he was nowhere in sight. Then I saw the note. Was is a ransom note? Had he just been taken? Was he a criminal with a record and Zoro had come into a marine base just to catch him. What was going on here?

I opened the note and it read, "New Glasses?" What! what is that supposed to mean? How did Zoro know I needed new glasses? No, I know! Mr. Attitude had been writing a note to me when he got attacked and Zoro had taken both him, and the marines out, and to show his cockiness and resentment to authority, he wanted to us to get confused by this note, but I know exactly who he has taken. Zoro must have a sick sense of humor to steal someone else's money and note and drop it on someone else's body just to make a point. I am thankful he didn't kill anyone.

However! Now is not the time for this. I need to alert Captain Smoker to the fact that there has been an attack at headquarters and organize the troupes to find and capture Zoro for assaulting Marine officers and question him about the capture of that man.

I tried to reach Captain Smoker on his Snail dial, but for some reason he just didn't answer. So I gave orders to the men and left to pick up Shigure. It didn't matter to me if she wasn't looking perfect yet, there was no way I was going into battle against a legendary pirate hunter with a dull, cheap, blade.

I had to have Shigure.


	6. A Sword's Soul

**The Women in One Piece rely far to much on the men, even when they don't need to. It's a pain and an agony to watch sometimes. What on earth happened to Robin, Why did they change her so much? I don't know. Anyway I thankfully don't own One Piece, It would probably have turned out very differently. **

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Tashigi's Heart: A Sword's Soul

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I ran as quickly as I could back to the shop where I dropped off my katana. I had to prepare for what was about to happen, a fight with the East Blues most famous Bounty Hunter. I would be lying if I went around and said to everyone that I wasn't nervous, I was, but at the same time I was thrilled by the idea of meeting someone with such legendary skills. How on earth does one fight three sword style anyway? Wouldn't the extra sword just get in the way? Did he have a third arm or did he carry it in his mouth. Bizarre. I finally came round a familiar street corner and reached the shop. I ran in and up to the front desk.

"I'm back! Did you finish polishing my Shigure?"

_Wait! What was that? Green?_ I turned to look to my right and there he was as tall as I remember. Mr Bad Attitude.

"Ah! You're Okay! I was worried about you."_ Well that's one less thing to worry about._ "You see, some marines where attacked earlier right where you had been mopping the floors. You were gone though, so I naturally assumed you had been kidnapped. Thank goodness you're okay though."

_Wait a minute..._

"The fact that your here means you must have run away. Sad, you really must have no idea how to accept love when it comes your way. Do you? So here's your stupid money back I don't need it, I can't accept money from a heartless ingrate. Besides! Look, I already got some new glasses."

I put on my new glasses that one of the officers had had ordered for me, and was about to carry on talking about how people don't often get chances like the one I gave to him, when the sword on the front desk caught my attention.

"Hah!" _Wow! What was I seeing?_ "That sword looks just like the 'Wado Ichimonji'. Is this really the sword?"

_I couldn't help but reach out for it and hold it up to the light. If it was Wado Ichimonji the sword has a pure-white hilt with a circular hand-guard. The sheath is painted white and the type of the blade is suguha or the straight blade. So I pulled it out of it's sheath. I was not disappointed._

"It's beautiful! This has to be one of the 21 O Wazamono Swords." I reached into my pocket to grab my notebook of different types of swords.

"Hummm, See! Look at this! It says here that this sword is worth no less than ten Million Berries." _Wow! What luck! Did he had had any idea of how expensive a sword he was carrying around with him, to lose it would be like losing a lifetime of savings_. I glanced up at the man before me and noticed he was giving me his full attention.

"But you're broke. How do you have this legendary sword?"

"Ahhhh!" I turned back forward to a red faced store owner. "You just had to keep talking didn't you?" He yelled, "I'm going to sue you ass for obstruction of business!"

"Obstruction of business?" _Okay, Now I'm confused how does giving accurate information Obstruct business?_ I pulled my glasses back down from my forehead over my eyes to stop the spit that was coming from his anger from going into them. Don't get anger be polite... "I sorry, I don't know what I did, but please forgive me."

"Here! I've finished polishing your precious Shigure for ya'. Now just take it and get out! I don't want to see you in my store again!" and with that he threw my katana right at me, I tried to catch it, but it was in an awkward position and it upset my balance, causing me to collide headlong into a stack of swords.

"Just get out before you tear my store apart!"

_I felt so embarrassed._

"I'm so sorry."

He turned back to his first customer, "Did she ever help you dodge a bullet? It is a complete waste, to have such a legendary sword attached to someone who has no idea of its true value. You can pick from our lovely selection of barrel swords for fifty thousand a piece. Pick any two you like!" _What an arrogant and horrible man. No wonder he wasn't getting many customers._

_It dawned on me that I really had no idea who this young man was, with a sword like that he could be the last of his family, the sword being passed on from father to son for generations, he could be a run away, he could be a thief, or on a more positive thought maybe a collector, freelancer, or supplier, who was broke... maybe not. _He turned away from the store manager walked over to the barrels of swords in the corner. He caught my eye for a second and I could have sworn he looked worried. Worried about what?

When he was within hearing distance of me he said, **"AH! What is that guy's problem**?"

_I wasn't sure how to answer that question so I didn't. But something else crossed my mind, Two Swords?_

"You must lose a lot of swords if you think you need to carry three around. Unless you like that famous pirate hunter."

"**Pirate Hunter, Yeah**..."

_Maybe he had never heard of him._

"He's quite the legend, His name is Roronoa Zoro."

"**Oh yeah, him**."

"Yeah, He's known throughout the East Blue, for his amazing swords skills, but he's not a good person. A swordsman who's just a bounty hunter is no honorable swordsman at all. Everything is backwards, it's to bad for a real swordsman. Pirates and Bounty Hunters as swordmasters, it just doesn't make any sense. They have most of the world's most legendary swords too. It's a real tragedy."

"**Hm, I don't know, it's the kind of thing you have to look out for on a case by case basis I guess. You never know what people are capable of."**

_What did that mean? Does he think it's okay to steal, to cheat, and to manipulate someone into doing something they shouldn't just when the situation needed it. That wasn't right. What was he buying his swords for? For Decoration?_

"This is my Shigure! I'm going to work as hard as I can to perfect my skills and then one day I'll take back all of the legendary swords, because the filthy hands that hold them have no right to wield them. Yes! The twenty-one 'O Wazamonos' I'll find them all!"

I don't know why I got so anger, or why I felt like sharing my most secret and treasured dreams with a complete stranger. What was I thinking. I suddenly felt a little bit sheepish. He probably thought I was a sword sociopath, a nut case. When I looked up I was suprised to see him grinning back at me. Something inside me clicked and it was like I had just caught sight of an old friend.

He caught my gaze with his own issuing an unheard challenge. His tanned hand was on the hilt of his sword, his fingers brushing it as his thumb flicked it up 2 inches. "**And This one? My Sword. The 'Wado Ichimonji'?"**

"Ah... I'm not trying to get back the swords for my sake I just don't want crinimals to have them."_ Please don't get the wrong idea. He might think I'll try following him around everywhere. Gosh, this is embarrassing._

He grinned at my discomfort and turned his back on me to continue looking for an average sword in the barrel of junk, dull Blades. Then I saw him stop, stiffen and lift up one that was exceptionally beautiful. What on earth was that doing there? Keen to redeem myself and be helpful, I reached for my book again.

"I think that's... let's see... Just as i thought! Kitetsu! Kitetsu the third. It's predoser Kitetsu the second is an Owasimono sword, and Kitetsu the first before that is listed as a top O Wazamono sword."

He held the sword out infront of him just looking at the hilt for the entire time I spoke to him. Finally he drew it out of it's sheath and revealed it's beautiful rare handiwork. Wow! I turned back to the owner.

"Hey! Are you really only selling this one for 50 thousand Berries?"

"Yeah.."

"Unbelievable! That's an orthentic Wazamono." Wow! You have to buy that sword! It's worth at least a million berries or more.."

I looked back toward the sword and the man holding it. He had a suspicious expression on his face like he wasn't quite sure of what he was holding and gaging it as if measuring the weight of it's strength simply by holding it. I remember I did a similar thing when I found Shigure. I call it sensing the soul. He didn't looked thrilled though when I had held my Katana for the first time I beamed and I couldn't stop my smile from spreading from ear to ear. However, that was not the case here. He scowled and kept staring at the sword, like my mother would have done upon being offered a rare and sweet desert rather than enjoying the sweetness, she'd be giving herself a headache by counting the calories she would be getting from one bit.

I tried to convince him before the manager changed his mind. "You can't passed it up it's to valuable."

"Damn It! I can't sell it!" _Here it comes, I knew this would happen. Once a profit is found he is the sort of man who can't refuse trying to get everything out of it._

"I didn't think so, I knew there must be some mistake, this is a legendary sword after all."

"It's not what you think!" _Why was he sounding so panicked?_

I turned around again when a heard a swinging motion behind me, the blade was now pointed towards the floor. And Mr. Attitude was still glaring at it. Was he always glaring at things.

"**The Sword's cursed**."

_What? What did he mean by that? A legendary sword being cursed._

At least his statement surprised and calmed down the store owner. "How do you know?"

"**Just do**."

"The Kitetsu Swords are superior in all respects, but they've been cursed since their beginnings you have to believe me. There are stories from all over of master swordsmen who have met their deaths after taking up a Kitetsu Sword. Nobody is stupid enough to even touch them these days. You'll fall under its curse as well if you decide to take it. I'm scared to let you buy it I'm afraid it'll curse me too. Just leave it alone."

I shuddered at the thought of thousands of men dying for taking up a forbidden weapon. Master swordsmen too. How was that possible? I had read lots of stories about cursed weapons and treasure, but this was the first time I had actually come across one. _What was I supposed to say? What was I meant to do?_

"How horrible! I'm sorry I even brought it up. It'll be death to take up that sword."

"**Sounds Great! I think I'll take it!**" The grin came back to his face, but this time I wasn't sure whether it belonged to him or not. For the briefest moments I imagined him already under the spell of Kitetsu the third._ Had he already been cursed? I had never witnessed a curses' take over before._

"I can't sell it you fool! 'Cause if something happens to you with that sword the curse could come back to me!" The man's voice blurred into the background as the possibly cursed man had my full attention.

"**Well We'll see... How about we find out which one is stronger, the swords' curse or my good luck.**"

With those words he threw the cursed sword up into the air sending it into a spin. He then held out his left arm and shut his eyes.

"**No**!" I yelled to him, but my words didn't reach him. It seamed as if time itself had slowed down, and the blade was spinning.

_Spinning_

_Falling_

"Don't You'll Chop your arm off!"

I couldn't move. What was he Doing! This was ridiulous. What was he trying to prove? I could do nothing, but hold my breath, and I did as if his life depended on it. I could easily imagine the mess a clean and heavy cut like that would leave. Blood would be everywhere, he probably wouldn't survive long enough to get to the nearest hospital.

_Why?_

_Why are you doing this?_

It spun round tip over hilt over and over again... and missed him as if he was coated in an invisible armor. The sword fell to the ground and sunk deep into the floor, the sharp tip and edge piecing the wood with ease.

His eyes opened and he looked up at us, the grin came back to his face.

**"I'll take it." **He bent down to pull his new sword out of the floor, it was buried almost up to the hilt, and glanced over at me. **"Hey! Pick out another you've got a good eye on you.**"

I didn't know how to take this all in. He was Amazing, stupid, crazy, and..._wait he had just said something. I needed to reply,_

"Okay." _WHAT! Why wasn't anything better coming out? What is wrong with me?_

The swords-smithy / store owner dashed as fast as he could up stairs and brought down a very expensive looking sword. He and the Swordsmaster exchanged words and the sword was just given to him.

He was a Swordsmaster there was no mistaking it. The way he handled the weapon, held it, lifted it, and threw it all confirmed what I needed to know about him. He was extraordinary. I didn't feel so confident that I could berate him as I had been doing just a little earlier. He could cut me into little pieces effortlessly. He caught my eye just before he left the shop and smiled.

**"See you around, Kuina." **

_What? That's not my name? Who is he talking to._ That brought me out of my daze.

"Wait! I didn't catch your name!" I called after him, but he was gone.

"That's weird. Who was that guy?" .._. What... What am I doing muttering to myself on the floor! I need to get back to headquarters! I'll be in big trouble if they can't get a hold of me in this crisis._

_It's nice to know there are decent people, ... well slightly decent,... who treat their weapons with respect,... What! throwing your sword in the air is respectful. Well right now I'm not sure what I think of him. All I know is that he is one amazing swordsman. It's nice to know there are other people who can carry legendary swords and have the right to wield them._

_._

**_Longest Chapter yet. still many more to come... can't wait! I hope you enjoyed it!_**


	7. The Bounty Hunters

**I don't own the Amazing One Piece.**

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Tashigi's Heart: The Bounty hunters  


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I rushed back to the marine base. My legs taking me as fast as they could go. I surprisingly didn't feel the least bit tired running up that hill. It was as if a new reserve of strength and energy that had been bottled up inside of me had made its way into my veins. Since I saw that swordsman challenge a cursed sword to a game of luck and chance, I was seeing things a little bit differently. _What was a curse anyway? Didn't it really just depend on the person's perception of what he or she thought it was. Maybe, if it did exist, all that was needed to overcome the curse was a stronger will, and not necessarily a stronger body or skill. I don't know if I'd ever see him again, but a part of me wants to. A man like that, even with the skills he has now, well I can't imagine what he will be like in the future. He is amazing. There is no other way to describe what he did._

I charged into the Marine base and ran through the corridors. I was ready to go and do something about this wayward Bounty Hunter, but I was stopped by one of the Corporals.

"What is it?" I demanded, I was in a hurry I needed to find Captain Smoker.

"Have you seen the new Wanted Poster?" he lifted up a pile of wanted posters and started to rummage through them. "This Pirate now has the biggest Bounty for a rookie that I have ever seen, and what's more incredible than the money is his face." He shook his head and looked up at me and said, "You would have no idea that he has such a reputation at his age." He found the one he was looking for and handed it over to me.

The Pirate that was on the page looked like a child, or maybe a teenager, no he was probably in his late teens, but I still couldn't hide my shock._ What was a youngster like this one doing with such an enormous bounty on his head._ I reached for the report card attached to the top of the poster and started to read the details and sightings of this pirate.

"Sergeant Major?"

"Yes." I muttered back to him, I was busy reading couldn't he see that.

"We would like you to speak to the Captain about this. We have tried getting him to read the report, but he keeps on saying that he's busy and he threatened to fire the next person who came in to speak to him about it, because we were disturbing his pacing, rhythm, and … well whatever." He nervously started shifting his feet around. "He tends to listen to you more than the rest of us."

_**That was it!**_ I grabbed the documents and the wanted poster and marched straight for his office. Smoker was ignoring my calls, and he was ignoring the men. _He needed to stop acting like a dragon smoking in his den, __and scaring people away by breathing fire and smoke in their faces, __and come out and do his job. _I found Him in his office, slouching back on his chair pretending he hadn't a care in the world.

"Captain Smoker!" I marched forward to his desk, slammed my hands down onto it and leaned forward. There was no other way to get this man's attention other than show to him you mean business.

"Is that man Luffy, really still on this Island?" No answer..

"If you don't chase him down quickly, he'll..."

"There is no need."

"But that's so..." I was just about to get started and give him a piece of my mind when a loud crash could be heard from outside the room and some of the guards could be heard scuffling, and shouting.

"No! No! You can't!" Guards yelled out.

"No! Don't go any further! This is the Marine Captain's room!"

The door sung open on its old squeaky hinges to reveal a giant of a man standing in the door. If his size wasn't impressive enough for a critic, the fact that he seamed to be walking effortlessly with three men draped over his shoulders should have stunned and scared anyone. The marines behind him looked very sheepish, having let such a wild man into their captain's room. But one glance at Smoker and you'd think he had just seen the paper boy turn up with junk mail. He hadn't even put his paper down.

"Yo, Smoker." At the sound of his voice the paper dropped a little to allow the captain to look over edge and glimpse the intruder.

"Oh, it's you Daddy." The captain muttered through his cigar. _Its a miracle he's in such good condition considering how many of those he went through in a day. I really don't understand Smoker's love the foul smelling things. Wait a minute he said __Daddy? What a ridicules name?_

"Highwayman Pete, and the Taxation Fraud Raido Brothers." 'Daddy' continued, dropping the unconscious men or maybe dead men onto the floor in front of Smoker's Desk.

"All three of 'em Bounties?" Captain Smoker didn't sound convinced as he looked over his dusty boots to view the floor. _Why was his boots on the desk top. Didn't he know how much he was wrecking the wood by doing that._

"There's another one of them at the Morgue." Daddy reached for something in his cloak and pulled out the Bounties Documents and handed it over to the Captain. "I need your signature to get my Bounty."

"Four of them worth, 1,000,000 berries. What Idiots..." _Smoker was probably talking about the people who would be paying the bounty._

"This city has many bounties that come through from the Grand Line. For Hard workers, it's better off to target miserable riff- raff rather than the big fish." The Tall man droned on.

"Once the Marine's most Genius Sniper, now bullying little weaklings. You're a strange one." Smoker replied signing where he needed to on the sheet of paper, and handing it back to the giant.

"I just don't want to risk my life anymore."

"If you died, your daughter would have nowhere to turn to, eh?" the captain put his hand on his newspaper again ready to pick up where he left off, and then called after him. "Tell Carol I said Hi."

"Sure, I'll tell her Uncle Smoky said hi." He raised his left hand in a mock farewell salute and strode down the hallway as if he owned it.

_He left without giving a single glance to me. It was as if I didn't exist like I was invisible. That is just another reason why I try so hard to improve my skills. I want to be acknowledged and seen. What was it with talented men and their attitudes. Guhh! But I had to admit he did a good job._

"Bounty Hunter Daddy Masterson, right?"

"Yeah, he was once my equal. He was one of the Marine Elite responsible for the security of Marine Headquarters."

"But why is such a person...?" I began thinking out loud.

"That's none of your business Sergeant." He gave me one of his favourite glares and went back to pick up his newspaper, "Stop being such an interfering busy body. No one likes having one of those buzzing around you all day."

That was the last Straw! "Now listen here!" I snatched the paper from his hands and held it behind my back, "I know, I might have been out of place for asking after a once superior officer, and I apologize, but that does not give you leave to ignore me. I always try to show everyone respect and that includes the men who serve under us. I was just told that a Pirate with a 30,000,000 bounty was in town and rushed over here to see what sort of strategies you have got planned to take him in and I find you're here smoking and pretending that you couldn't care less."

"Well if you hadn't been out, shopping and stopping every time you see something old and valuable to admire it, you might have been here when I was looking for him."

"So did you find him?" I questioned.

"Yeah."

"Well, where is he?"

"He catapulted himself somewhere on the other side of town." he mumbled and reached for his newspaper. I moved it further away from him.

_Catapulted? How on earth did the kid manage that?_

"And what has been done to find him?" I can't believe this, how could a captain act so irresponsibly.

"Nothing," Smoker leaned back into his chair and took in a deep breath of smoke and breathed it out again, clogging up the air with it's poison. Y_ou might want to get rid of me but I won't be scared away that easily._

"Well?"

"He'll be back soon. I'm sure of it. He'll be here in this area of town in about three hours I think give or take a few,." _Why was he so laid back?_ "He wants to climb the execution platform."

"What! Why would he do that?"

"To see where the King of the Pirates died, apparently." He jutted out his jaw bone and moved his cigars about in his mouth, "Now, move off my desk your making a mess of it, and give me back my paper." _Me? making a mess of this dirty den? He had to be kidding there was hardly anything left to make a mess of._ "You got what you came for, answers, now stop cramping my space and walk, hop, or fall out." he ordered.

"No, I haven't got what I came here for Captain. I came here to organized my men to actively take part in a dangerous capture of a pirate who has taken down and destroyed a fishman and his gang of pirates who had been terrorising an island settlement and bribing a local Marine officer. This Fishman called Arlong created Arlong Park from the residents money and was a tyrant who let no one off the island for 10 years!" I hope that got his attention. Good, "and this kid pirate also killed the famous Don Crieg, the Pirate who crossed into the Grand Line a little while ago, and then destroyed his ship." I looked at him straight in his eyes. "Now, please tell me what could be more important than doing our job right now and organizing the men."

He groaned, as he took his feet off the desktop and swung them down to the floor.

"And this young man is not the only thing we need to look out for," I told him as we started to make our way down the halls, "The pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, who attacked two marines inside the barracks earlier today, has apparently joined up with Strawhats' crew."

I lifted my glasses up and off my face, quickly rubbed them in my shirt, and put them back on. I looked up at him and he grinned "It seems to have just gotten more interesting."

.

_We were walking beneath yet another archway. Where were we going?_

Smoker asked of the man, "And then what?"

"Well sir, It isn't just Straw-hat Luffy," He sounded a bit out of breath as if he had been running about quite a bit, "but also Buggy the Clown and Iron club Alphida. There all there wanted pirates from the East Blue! They've taken over the town square." The Captain stopped his striding for a bit.

"They dare to do this all right in front of me." He gave a scowl that would make you think he had just been offered entrails for dessert, "Why those arrogant scum-bags."

"Captain Smoker! Sir! What are your orders!"

"Send unit number one out to the scene, and have unit number two surround the pirates from the streets. The rest will stand within shooting range of the square. See that it gets done."

"Sir!"

"And give this order to unit One. They are to crush any pirates as soon as they see them. I don't want a single pirate to get off this Island not a single one."

I shuddered at the thought of being on the receiving end of the full brunt of my Captain's anger. He was a good man, also hard to get motivated sometimes, but when he got going nothing stopped him. And he had a record to uphold. No one pirate ever escaped his island.

**We're coming for you pirates. **

**We're coming to show you the meaning of justice.**

**You won't be able to terrorize this town.**

_**I'm coming for you Roronoa Zoro**. Besides this pirate hunter can't be anything like the man I saw today, after seeing him I had no doubt in my mind that he would have been able to defeat this pirate hunter. Shame I didn't get his name._

_**I will defeat you Pirate turn coat**. He was not only a dishonourable swordsman by earning a living through hunting down any person for cash, but now he had become the thing he not only, 4 months ago, had hunted and killed._

_**I will defeat you, I'm coming. Roronoa Zoro.  
**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**Please tell me what you think of the story so far. Obviously only parts of it are mine, since I'm rewriting the parts where Tashigi is involved. Let me know what you think I need to work on as a writer, and what you think I'm good at. Criticism is welcome. As long as you actually like the coupling of Tashigi and Zoro, if you don't then don't read this story. Plain and simple. I love hearing from people so please drop me a message. :D**_


	8. To Fulfil a Promise

**Wow! I think this story is going to be a long one. I have just found out that I love detail and describing things in stories, and so you're going to get it. I will try to update weekly. So please read lots and give me some reviews. :D**

**I do not own One Piece, and I don't own this story's original idea, only the personal perception of the story. Maybe in a few Chapters time the story will be all mine. **

**Have a Good Read!**

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Tashigi's heart: To Fulfil a promise.

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The once glorious day was quickly becoming a mysterious one as a piercing darkness loomed in on the horizon and seamed to rush toward Logue Town. There was now a chilling wind that whispered your secrets back into the storm's depths promising the absolute ruin to any unguarded heart.

_**Guard your Heart, Guard your Mind, Remember your Purpose. I kept on reminding myself.**_

_**.**_

_I stood there up high, waiting for the rain to come, Autumn rain. It's funny how things kept on reminding me of my mission and coming back in signs and symbols. I had never been a superstitious person, and I still don't regard myself as one, but I am changing. I'm more open to different possibilities than I had been before, and I believe that there is a greater existence than what is merely offered to us from the start. I am waiting, waiting, waiting for the right moment to strike. _

We had arrived just in time to see the pirates gang up on the strawhat guy.

"Captain Smoker, please come and look at this. Something strange is happening." one of the ensigns called out.

The captain and I both raised our binoculars to see what was happening in the square. _I needed to get them readjusted. Oh, it's raining. It was beginning to spinkle just a bit._

"The Kid?" Captain Smoker muttered, "What the Hell is going on?"

"Monkey D. Luffy," I said aloud to myself. _It definitely looked like him_. "But, it looks like he's going to be killed!"

"Captain shall we commence with the attack?" The panicked young man said.

"No, it'll cause chaos." Smoker answered.

"But just sitting here." the impatient marine started.

Smoker pulled himself up to his full height, which was very tall, "I am the one that's giving out the orders!"

"Y-yes, Sir."

Smoker turned back to look at the square, "Pirates wiping out other pirates, that's exactly the way we want it. We don't have to do a thing." The Captain then turned round to address the other men behind him. "Listen Up! After Straw-Hat Luffy's head gets knocked off, surround Buggy, Alvida, and the rest of their crew! Any Questions?"

There was none.

.

The Strawhat boy was captured easily by the other pirates that had only recently arrived on the island, they seem to have a grudge against him for one reason or another, and now had him stuck in one of their make shift stocks. They look like their going to execute him. Smoker told us to wait it out, so that's what we are doing. The pirates where making a huge spectacle of this and had forced a lot of the citizens to stay in the square to watch.

I hate their arrogance. Do they think the marines sleep through the day and night without keeping any watchers.

My hand is itching for a fight, fingers twitching with the anticipation. I want to feel Shigure in the palm of my hand and show these heartless, soulless individuals why I have chosen to fight for the people instead of my own selfishness.

All Pirates are the same down to the core. It doesn't matter what they might look like on the surface, whether they be beautiful or beastly, stealthy or stupid, grand or gutter-trash. They will still act all the same in certain situations, where there is treasure involved they will steal it, where there is a promise to be upheld they will break it, when there crew members are in danger they will make them the scape goat to run for their lives and later pretend to take revenge just for the extra thrill of spilling blood.

Being a Pirate is the lowest and most dishonourable position you can hold. It has no purpose, no honour, no class.

All of them are vulgar.

The Pirate, Buggy the clown, was taunting and laughing at the much younger man's misfortune and standing on his head. That must have really hurt.

Almost in rebellion and denial of the dangerous and deadly position he was in the young pirate yelled at the top of his lungs, "I'M THE MAN WHO WILL BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

His statement echoed round the square, and the only thing that broke the silence was the sound of the rain hitting the ground and the rooftops.

Buggy laughed and lifted his sword.

"THIS EXECUTION IS CANCELLED!" Two voices made themselves heard from across the other side of the square. I raised my binoculars again to see them. Wait was that the guy I saw earlier?

"ZORO! SANJI!"

I almost dropped my binoculars in shocked, "Zoro?!"

"You really know how to make a ruckus." Aren't you taking this joke a bit too far, luffy?" Zoro looked like he was smiling, "Luffy you idiot! I guess all that fooling around finally caught up with you Huh!?"

"If it's time for the sideshow, I guess I'll make my début as well." Sanji added, "It looks like we just have to get past these shitty pirates."

The crowd started to panic, "P-Pirate Hunter... Z-Zoro!" They scattered like fish before a whale.

Buggy grinned and yelled, "Here at last Zoro? Pity you're just a tad too late!"

The two intruders rushed toward the platform.

I still couldn't believe my eyes, that was, "Roronoa Zoro." That man right there...

Just the two of them rushed into the gang of pirates to get to their captain.

"Try all you want, not even the great Zoro can stop me now!" yelled Buggy. He held his sword up high and brought it down to strike off Luffy's Head. "This is the end of your Captain!"

Smoker turns to speak to us all again. "Remember, once Monkey D. Luffy's head flies, we attack in full force." "Prepare for battle."

"Aye, Sir!"

My eyes were fixed on the scene ahead, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Then a yell was heard from the platform a sort of call out. The Straw-hatted pirate yelled out names, " Zoro! Sanji! Ussopp! Nami! Sorry, I'm dead."

Just then a brilliant lightning blot flashed the clouds and struck the platform in a blinding light. It shattered glass in the nearby buildings and shook the iron platform. And made the wooden top catch alight with flames.

The Platform fell down, and came crashing to the earth. As if nothing had happened the young man got up. "That's nice, I'm OKAY!"

Captain Smoker broke the silence, "Now! Surround the pirates!"

It didn't take long for the second unit to rush into the square, they were quickly overcoming them.

.

"The strawhat crew is retreating!"

"Stop them!"

"After them!"

.

"Captain we have to pursue the pirates."

"Lieutenant think back, Have you ever seen a pirate smile on the execution platform?"

"No sir, it doesn't matter how tough the guy is. At the moment of death they all turn pale and die in despair."

"That Strawhat man smiled. I saw it. He smiled just like Gold Roger did on that platform 22 years ago, in that exact spot"

"Captain?"

"Where is the Strawhat man Now?" Smoker demanded.

"Sir, he slipped past us, sir and is heading to the harbour." the lieutenant reported.

"Unit one should have destroyed their ship by now."

"Well sir, they had to return to port for a refitting, 'see they couldn't light their power due to the sudden rain."

"Whatttt?!"

"But, a reserve unit is already doing preparations to destroy the ship instead."

I couldn't believe this, I thought we had warned them about this, they should have taken coverings, "Captain Smoker, if we let them sail now they will be able to get to the grand line before we can capture them." Come on we have to do something.

"The wind is blowing to the west, it's a tail wind for that ship." Is this just mere coincidence or does heaven itself have a plan for this young pirate?"

"Catch those Pirates!" He ordered.

I will most certainly do my best.

.

I ran as fast as I could. I was finding it hard to see, the rain was falling harder slashing hundreds of droplets into my face. It had already socked me from head to toe, I could feel the droplets running down my face and off my chin.

I knew they would have to come through this way. I would stop them or die trying. On my honour as a marine I will prevent them from escaping.

I suddenly had a flash back of having an ordinary conversation with him at the shop, and giving him advice on his weapons. Why! What was that all for? I had made that statement about swords being used by the wrong people and how I hated pirates, and yet he had just listened.

I stopped this was the right road. They would come down here. I hadn't memorized the layout of the city for nothing. In the distance through the rain I saw three figures approaching. I had made it just in time to intercept them. They slowed down when they saw me.

I called out to him, "So you are Roronoa Zoro the bounty hunter, and pirate."

_I just can't believe it. He had to have been laughing at me behind my back the entire time I was with him. After what I did for him. I lead a pirate into a marine base without even doing a check on him. I feel so ashamed. How can I see myself as an upholder of justice if I let people like him by me. Did he think it was funny? Did he knock those men out and leave me money to mock me and to send a clear message that he hated marines. I had felt admiration for him just a few hours ago, and now. Now it's time to finish this schaders life of falsehood, to stop him in his tracks before he deceives someone else into thinking he is a good man. I have had enough of being mocked, why did he do it? What drove him to do it?!_

"I... You lied to me!"

The other pirate with blonde hair turned on him then and yelled, "Oh GREAT! What the HELL did you do to that girl?"

"You never asked me what my name was, did you?" Zoro pushed the other two aside to come to the front of their group, "So I never lied did I?!"

_Don't you dare get picky and obnoxious with me, PIRATE. _

"A scoundrel like you wielding such a magnificent Kantana. There is no way I'm going to let you leave town with 'Wado Ichimonji!' it would be unforgivable. I am confiscating it, right now!"

He tilted his head up and his hand went to the sword in question, "Come and get it."

Darkness seamed to surround us in this area, the rain was getting thicker by the minute. _Was I really good enough to fight him yet? I knew what I must do. I must do my duty, and stop Roronoa. If I go no further after today, then at least I know I tried my hardest, and lived unafraid of death. I will fight him. I gnashed my teeth together, this was it. No regrets, no looking back, no mercy. (If there is indeed a God, Please help me.)_

I held fast to my Shigure, unsheathed her, and attacked. The lunge was brilliant and perfectly executed and I kept my balance, but Zoro seamed to be a step ahead, moving that beautiful sword into a position to block my attack before it even came close to landing there.

I looked into his eyes. That was a bad move on my part, although it made no difference to me when I had fought many others, but for some reason His glare somehow bore into my soul, seemingly to be reading and searching for my moves in the fight. My hopes and my dreams I had already made known to him there was nothing else he could find there that he did not know already.

When fighting I always used my speed and size to my advantage, attacking quickly and moving away to prepare for another fast thrust, not letting those who were slower and larger than me use their strength against me, but he was different. Zoro used the 'Wado Ichimonij' like a club, bringing it down on my blade with all his strength in that blow. It threw me off balance, and the way he held his sword would allow him to turn one club-like swing into a swift and fast attack to my shoulder if I tried to retreat. I had to block every one to prevent this happening. With our blades locked I saw a smirk spread across his face. It was as if he had done this before, and he knew how to overcome me.

"WHAT A JERK! YOU CAN'T FIGHT A GIRL!" What! who was that idiot?

"I CAN HANDLE MYSELF!" The last thing I want, if I'm going to die by the sword, is help and sympathy from some pirate. The thought of someone like that helping me made me feel sick. I would prefer to die. "THIS A FIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, I DON'T NEED ANY HELP SO BACK OFF!"

"You heard her, so get out of here."

Well, at least Zoro was taking me seriously. All the extra noise around us faded away. I needed to focus on the here and now, the fight, and nothing else mattered.

Zoro had his sword in a lock with mine, but one of his hands let go. 'Had he not been using his whole strength? I didn't even feel any difference to the pressure the sword was applying to mine.' God, he must be strong. His hand went down to his side, and pulled out the brand new 'Yubashiri' I had been the one to stunned to get up to see it. And now it would be seen in action for the first time in the hands of Zoro.

Well Zoro was known for using three swords, I found it hard to believe why he would need to. He was brilliant, the two swords flew through the air in perfect sinq, his speed and steps were steady. He knocked my blade with one sword then up again with the other, I almost lost my grip. I took a step back to ready myself for another attack, and then another and another.

As his swords were swung at me I found it hard to recover from his heavy strikes, then suddenly I realized I had not being paying enough attention to my surroundings. He had back me up into a wall. I had nowhere else to go. He struck a blow towards my face. I moved my sword to counter the strike, but it was smashed out of my hands and thrown to the ground. His sword landed in the wall, just an inch from my neck. Did he miss on purpose, or was he just intending to kill me with the other sword. Time stood still as I waited for him to finish me off. I could hear the rain drops tinkle as they hit the sword in front of me. I looked down it's blade. I could see a few of my subordinates looking at us in the reflection of the blade, and I was ashamed. How could I be so weak? It wasn't supposed to end like this.

"I can never lose this Kantana no matter what, especially to you!" His eyes flashed in anger, as he made his claim.

_In response the rain seamed to be beating me as well becoming heavier it wasn't as if I didn't have enough to feel bad about already, I have never before in my life felt so burdened, as if another's life hood had been slapped onto my shoulders. He was greater than me, and seamed driven by something. I knew then he would never give up his sword for anything. Was it precious to him? Was it worth more to him than Gold? Who is this man really?_

_He glanced into my face again. What was he looking for? His expression became dead, and his eyes went to his swords. He then dislodged the one that was jammed in the wall, and sheathed both Yubashiri and Wado Ichimonij._

_Wait, Sheathed them both...?!_

"Bye, I gotta go." He sounded so casual...

_I didn't know what to think, I was filled with relief and rage all at once. What just happened? A pirate showing mercy. Such a thing had never occured. He had been holding back throughout the fight. He didn't even think of me as a fighter. I can't bare it._

"WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL ME!" I couldn't stop my thoughts from spilling out of my mouth.

"Is it because I'm a woman? Even though a woman's arm is weaker than a man's it's humiliating to have someone go easy on you in a duel. I doubt you'd understand me, wishing to have been born a man. I didn't pick up this sword to play around, it is not decoration. This is my life!" I didn't care about anything at that moment. I just hated him, and my own exhistance.

"AHHHH! Would you shut up for one second? I can't stand the fact that you exist! You have the same face as a girl I once knew who died a long time ago, and before I know a thing about you your talking just like her. What I want you to do is stop acting like some dead person who you don't even know, and start acting like yourself.

"What a childish rude thing to say! I live my life for my own goals! It's not my fault that I sound like your dead girlfriend. I don't know her, and I regret looking like someone who was friends with you! I had no idea it was so rude and thoughtless of me to be myself. JERK! You' ever think before you talk? Maybe it is she who was acting like me!"

"What did you say?" I didn't think someone could look shocked, confused, amazed, and mad at the same time. _What could possibly have been wrong about the what I said. Moron What a stupid way to insult someone._

"I saw the Body. I saw the wound. How can you be here? How is it you look just like her?" _His glaring eyes were staring at the ground. And when he finished he glanced up._

_Just like who?_

Zoro looked me up and down, (gosh I feel so self-conscious) he reached out a hand to my neck. _What was he doing?! I batted it away._

At that he slammed me into the wall again, (ow! my back hurt) and stared into my face.

"I swore I'd do this, and I will."

_do what? _

"I have dedicated my life and would sell my soul to fulfil this promise. Nothing and no one... will get in my way!"

He let go of me and stepped back any sort of shock that came with the result of Zoro's treatment was short lived as there was a sudden, massive gust of wind. It knocked him straight off his feet and sent him flying. I held onto the nearest wall jut that I could find and held on for dear life. _What is this demonic wind?_

It only lasted for a few seconds and then stopped. I looked down the street, there were tables, goods, and anything and everything left outside had been taken up by the wind and smashed into shops and street corners.

_Wait? Where was he? Where were the rest of the men?_

I rushed to the docks to find them and to see if I could find him, but I only caught a glimpse of them. The waves smashing against the sides of their ship and tossing it about like the wind does with the seeds of the field.

_Where are they going?_

_I need to find the Captain._

.

.

I arrived at the square in the centre of town to find practically all the marines there. _What were they doing? We needed to be more active._ They all seemed to be looking at someone.

"What reason is there to stop a man from sailing?" This new comer was shrouded in a cloak. I couldn't see his face.

Captain Smoker looked out to sea, "Set sail!" he demanded to the nearest man. "We're going after him. We'll enter the Grand Line."

_Now this was more like it. I want this! I knew there was a reason we got along._

"But..but Captain? Your jurisdiction is this island! What would command say?"

Smoker then turned his head to him. "Tell them, I don't care about orders!"

_Yes! I've always been one to follow orders, but I won't let this opportunity die_. "I'm going to!"

"Sergeant Major Tashigi!" They sounded concerned. HUH, there are far to many paranoid men in this world.

I walked to the front of the group around the Captain. "What Roronoa did to me was unforgivable! I have to hunt him down. He's mine! I will capture him with my own hands!"

My Captain gave me a strange look and then nodded. "Anyone who doesn't have a backbone stay here. I don't want you on my ship if you're going to turn coward and run at the first chance you get!"

"You!" he yelled to the nearest ensign, "Get me my log post from headquarters!"

"Captain you're not allowed."

"I told you not to order me around! Now, get to it." Smoke then addressed the rest of us, "Most of you will be staying here, and I need you to all be responsible men and women, and help the citizens clean up this shit hole." he paused, and found in the crowd a communications officer, "Tell headquarters what has happened and let them know that," he glanced up at the building where the hooded man had been, (had been because he was no longer there) "...that Dragon was responsible for creating a disturbance and for defying marine authority again."

Wait, that man was the DRAGON! It came as a surprise to many of the others as well. If it had been any other Captain he would have kept that information to himself and just updated the info to headquarters, but this was one of the reasons why a lot of his men were so loyal, Captain Smoker always said what was on his mind and let them all know exactly what he thought when he thought it.

Yes! I will go.

My first real mission, well I have travelled from island to island before, but I have never set sail to hunt a pirate. I felt a rush of excitement run through me. The Grand Line? What was it going to be like?

"We Set Sail in half an hour!" Smoker yelled, "Get ready on time or we leave without you!"

A lot of men seemed as thrilled as I was at the prospect of going to the grand line. They cheered and a lot of them ran off to gather supplies for the journey. Half an hour wasn't a long time. I ran back to my quarters to grab and pack some extra belongings.

I suppose I need to thank you in some way Roronoa. You have given me the excuse I need to leave, to venture into the great unknown, to search the sea. Thrill seeped in again. Wow! I'm leaving for real. A real adventure.

.

.

**Well that was an interesting chapter to write. I used both the Japanese Subbed episodes and Funimation episodes for the script and used which one I preferred most or did a mix. I hope you liked it. The next few chapters will be all my own. About the marines experiences in the Grand line from a slightly different route.**

**Enjoy!**


	9. White tipped Waves

HELLO AGAIN! I'M REALLY ENJOYING THIS. WELL HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK... I'M WAITING...

I DO NOT OWN ONEPIECE, AND ANY OTHER MANGA OR ANIME. IF I DID I'D BE GETTING LOTS OF MONEY FROM THEM AND WOULDN'T BE WRITING FANFICTION ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE'S STORIES, BECAUSE I'D HAVE NO TIME AND IT WOULD BE A WASTE. WHY GIVE AWAY FREE STORIES WHEN YOUR FAMOUS ENOUGH TO MAKE A LIVING OUT OF IT? THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!

ANYWAY, NEXT CHAPTER, THE STRAWHATS HAVE ESCAPED, AND THE MARINES ARE AFTER THEM. CHAPTER 9!

.

Tashigi's Heart: The White tipped Waves.

.

It seemed that the Captain found the hard working crewmen that were loading goods, onto the ship we would use, were being far to slow for his taste. And decided to complain about it to me. I held my tongue and decided not to give him a piece of my mind. He Had Asked the Impossible!

I had found just the trip alone to headquarters and back to the harbour had been 35 minutes and I didn't count the time that I packed my gear. Once I had arrived, in all Smoker had seemed packed up and ready to go what with all of his 40 something boxes of cigars, a few containers of beer, bag of extra clothes, and his sea stone spear. I just couldn't believe it. He hadn't organized anything. New crew members were walking up into the ship some looking grand others looking strong, and a few just thrilled. Then my mind kicked itself into gear.

I raised my voice so they would be able to hear me over the crashing of the waves, "Who here has ever been out in rough seas before?!" just over half of them put up their hands. This wasn't a pleasure trip, this was a journey to the Grand Line. Too many of these young men had been spurred to come along just because of what the Captain had said. "I think it would be best for those who have never experienced sailing in storms to stay behind! Don't take it personally! But the Grand Line is no place for those who have never been in such a dangerous situation before. It holds the seas most dangerous currents and has destroyed Pirates and Marine ships alike. We don't have the time to train the inexperienced. We need those who are level-headed during a crisis.

I could tell a few of them didn't like the fact they were being told to stay behind. She could feel their eyes glaring at her back.

"I don't want to be responsible for looking after the incompetent, so stay behind!" I turned around to head back inside the ship and search through the cabins.

Yes, We needed a lot more gear, sleeping gear, spare clothing racks, needed to have more bunks put in, and... I went down into the cellar... We need a lot of food.

I started to write a list of things we would need that were essential. After I had finished with the few things I had written I found Captain Smoker and informed him on what we needed.

"What! This Ship needs all this crap!" he looked out the window into the harbour, "Maybe we should just take another."

"It's not the ship, sir that's the problem, but the health and safety of every man aboard. We need the extra food supply, otherwise we won't even get close to the grand line." I looked around his cabin courters. He had... unpacked... and made himself at home, turning the fresh sea air into a smoky contamination of dead leaves and drugs. I coughed. Health and Safety, yeah he definitely doesn't care about that. He had just lit another two and snuffed the old ones out.

"Give me three hours to find what we need." Gosh this is going to be hard work.

"Three, you must be joking." He breathed in deeply as if to help hold in his anger, and then said, "I'll give you 'til I finish these." He rolled them around in his mouth, as if he was trying to make a point. "Get those lazy asses to help you." He said pointing out the window. "Say it is the Captain's orders."

And so I now had the task of resupplying the ship. It wasn't to bad. We managed to get a hold of a lot of towns people and fishermen who had fresh produce and was able to store it quite well. The Pirate attack had left a lot of people nervous and wary. They were all to please to help us. After I had the food, medical, practical, weapons, and communications equipment collected. I set myself the task of contacting some essential crew mates. This was the Grand Line after all. First I got a hold of an experienced navigator and managed to get him to sign up with us. He had apparently been to the Grand Line before. More and more came, those were some long hours, trying to sort everyone out and get all the equipment I wanted.

I had no time for faffing around, and made sure no one else did either. This was a marine ship we weren't supposed to journey out into uncharted waters without the right crew or equipment.

"Seagent Major Tashigi?" I turned to find a young man, he must have been all of 17 years of age, he looked like a rookie, but then she knew how much looks could be deceiving.

"Yes, what is it? I'm busy." I carried on ticking the items that were coming aboard off my list.

"Sir,... Mam?" He looked nervous, then he clenched his fist and rolled his shoulders back, "I want to come on this voyage to the Grand Line." his eyes looked defiantly into mine. "I might be inexperienced like you said, but I learn quickly, I can do many jobs, and I will help out wherever needed." he paused then continued, "My older Brother had a dream to travel into the Grand Line. It has been my dream since my brother died, to go where he will never be able to go. I might never get another opportunity like this!"

His sincerity was awe inspiring, I liked people like this, but would this be the right time and place. I took a good look into his face.

"What's your name youngster?"

"Arek Bay. Mam."

"And, how old are you?"

"Eighteen." he said uncertainly as if pondering whether or not that was the right answer to give.

"Are you really eighteen? Or are you younger?"

"No! I am. I started training with the marines at the beginning of last year and before that I was training myself!"

I didn't have time for this. I pulled up the document of the list of marines who I had signed up for this journey and added his name to the list. I handed it over to him, "You sign here," I looked up into his face again, "Are you sure you want to do this? We won't come back half way round the world again just because you get home sick."

I gave me a cheerful grin, and took the paper from my hands. "Thanks so much!" He couldn't get his name down fast enough.

I lifted up another document. "There is still room for one more in cabin 6. I'll put in there. You will be sharing with a lot of other older and experienced sailors. Ask for tips on what to look out for at sea, and..." I shifted my glasses up my nose and looked at him again. "You must respect them."

"Yes! Thank you!" He bent down to pick up his things and left as quickly as he came.

I hope he knows what he has gotten himself into. I hope I know what I have gotten myself into. I have read books about the grand Line, and its terrible stories of disaster and betrayal, but stories and so called facts are nothing when it comes to first hand experience.

.

It was morning by the time we were finally ready to set sail. I think it was good thing in some respects that the ships had been cleared of all their equipment. It meant that we hadn't overlooked anything, and made sure we took only what was necessary, and in prime condition. I had even managed to get a hold of some books on weapons techniques, sea creatures, and navigational skills that might come in handy. Captain Smoker wasn't in a good mood and refuses to talk to me about it. But I have heard him mumbling about the incompetence of women who lead, and the stupidity of soft, slacking sailors. But I couldn't be brought down by his negative attitude.

As we left the port with the waves smashing and crashing against us, I looked out to sea. The sky and the sea didn't look so black now. There were small breaks in the clouds, where the first rays of dawn where breaking through the clouds. This is what I want. I walked across the deck up to the bow of the ship. The sight was breath-taking. I had been drenched for hours now, I didn't care about the little bit of sea spray that splashed into my face every time we crashed down to the bottom of a wave. The feeling of the ship dipping and weaving in and out of the waves was amazing, and the thud you felt when it landed.

Somewhere, out there was the Grand Line, with seas that made these ones look tame. It was going to be wonderful. I felt a grin spread across my face as one dip created an usually large splash that covered the entire bow, soaking me again.

"Now Seargent!? What are you doing?" I turned grinning to my, not so happy, superior officer.

"I love the sea when it's like this." I spread my arms wide. "When the sea waves and the clouds in the sky seem to be fighting for air space!" I whooped, when the ship came down again and a wave dashed unhinded up the side of the ship again.

"Tashigi, if you don't get inside, you're going to suffer from hyperthermia for a week." I pouted at that comment.

"I won't get sick!"

"Yes, you will. You had it twice last year at sea, and I don't want you getting it now." He pointed his thumb back over his shoulder, "Get some rest. You've been on your feet for two long."

I nodded my acknowledgement, and took one last look out to sea, the swirling waters, the fearce thunder clouds, the unseeable horizon, and then turned back to go inside the newly stacked up and cramped quarters.

This was going to be a journey of a lifetime.

I REALLY LIKED DOING THIS CHAPTER, PREPARING FOR A VOYAGE SOMETHING YOU DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT MUCH DO YOU. SO THEY HAVE SET OUT! WHICH ROUTE WILL THEY TAKE?

PLEASE REVIEW. :D


	10. A Swordsman's Style

**You know there is something really exciting about holding a real sword. I went to the Lord of the Rings exhibition in New Zealand when Return of the King came out in cinemas, and I remember seeing Aragorn's sword which is called Anduril, Flame of the West, reforged using the shards of Narsil, the Sword of Elendil. **

**I saw it, held back behind glass, revered and respected for it's beauty and now fame, but I wasn't allowed to hold it. But I did hold another sword, one with no name. It was a broad sword. What struck me most about it was the shear weight of the blade. I could barely raise it above waist height. **

**It makes you wonder at those who swing their swords with ease. ZORO! HOW ON EARTH CAN YOU CARRY ONE IN YOUR MOUTH? WOW! **

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Tashigi's Heart: A Swordsman's Style

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After hours of being soaking wet, drenched by the rain and then the sea, I finally managed to get dry in the warmth of my cabin. It was quite spaceous, but that was probably because I was the only person who would be sleeping in it. I was lying there on my bed. For some reason I was the only female officer who had wanted to come aboard on this journey from the Marine base of Logue Town to journey the terrors of the Grand Sea. _So I have the entire room to myself. Just myself. My space._

It was moments like these that I regretted being born a world apart. I could hear the sounds of laughter coming from underneath me, up through the floor boards, the melody of a well-played musical instrument, and the song of a heart that feels free, a person who holds nothing back. _They sounded like they were having so much fun._

It was moments like these that I would sit back and imagine what life 'could have been' if I had not been me. Hadn't someone just placed me inside the wrong body. I wanted to be with everyone, to laugh and make jokes, be them good or bad, and to have them laugh with me. But I just couldn't because it would be embarrassing, unprofessional and undignified for a 'young lady' to be staying, sleeping in the same quarters as the men. So I was here alone.

It was moments like these, when I'm trying to get some sleep, that the things I didn't let distract me during the day come back all at once to fill my mind, and taunt me with everything and nothing necessary. My train of bizarre thoughts went a bit like this.

_my bed is hard, _

_my head ached, why does it ache?_

_my mother would be so mad if she found out I was here, that's why it aches,_

_my mum would be wearing a stunning dress right now and going out on a date or to a dinner party,_

_if I was there..._

_she would try to set me up with some rich young man, _

_someone whom she wouldn't be embarrassed to have as a relative,_

_she loves all things young and beautiful_

_she would think herself in love with him and end up almost having him fall in love with her..._

_._

_...kill that train of thought..._

_._

_I am 21 already,_

_Where did my teen life go?_

_I don't have many good friends,_

_I don't have friends._

_I have comrades_

_They're better than friends_

_I have knowledge and desire_

_I have purpose _

_I can see a blurry path ahead, but my hope is strong, I will prevail!_

_._

_I wonder what time it is?_

_Did I pack my winter gear!?_

_Yes,..._

…...

"**'And this one? The Wado Ichimonij my Sword!'" **

**.**

_what on earth?_

_Oh, that was what he said to me in the shop, right?_

_Why am I thinking about him now?_

I turned from my right side over to my left.

_The last thing I want on my mind is Zoro._

.

.

"**Why don't you stop acting like some dead person you don't even know, and start acting like yourself!"**

.

I threw back by bed covers as that memory came back to replay.

_HOW DARE HE! I still can't believe he said that, what a jerk! His stupidity was really something. His statement didn't even make any sense? _

I sat up on the side of the bed and held my head in my hands. I just couldn't believe this was happening. It wasn't as if I hadn't had enough trouble sleeping anyway. I slapped my checks with my palms, and walked over to the books that I had decided to bring along.

_What do I feel like reading right now... Why did Zoro have three swords? He was brilliant with just the one. Where would he get the advantage? Most people just tend to find one extra sword one sword too many, that it just gets in the way. __I know what I'm talking about. When it comes to studying techniques and doing research on the art of swordplay I'm an expert. I know I still have a long way to go before I can be recognized as a legendary swordswoman, but I will never give up._

_I know how long it takes for a man to become good enough to fight with the sword. Out the time needed to turn a beginner into a competent swordsman, for a man to become an expert in fighting with dual blades you would have to double the average time amount and then double that again. The result, I guess, would be a fairly decent estimate of the absolute minimum time a swordsman (or woman) would need to learn the two-sword style to the point where he/she can effectively defend him/herself with it; the real time would be even longer. _

_I've often wondered why it should take this long? I think its principally because the swordsman would have to train their non-dominant arm until they can fight as well with that arm as they do with their dominant one, changing themselves into an ambidextrous fighter. _

I reached for the book that this train of thought lead me to. **'A Swordsman's Style.'** I flicked through the pages to find the pieces of information I was looking for.

I noticed a few key points and started writing down notes.

**Chapter 12: Two long-bladed swords.**

**1. Who uses two-sword style**

**2. Know your swords. **

**3. Don't use it on a massed battlefield.**

**4. Use it only against unarmored or poorly-armored opponents.**

**5. What guards to use?**

**6. Don't fall into a rigid, predictable pattern.**

**.**

**"Using two Swords or Rapiers, now has become recognized as a style of fighting in its own right. The swordsman has opted to use two swords instead of a sword and shield. The Masters ****of this art, for honorable and knightly weapons, state ****they be not used in the wars. To him that would handle these weapons, it is necessary that he can as well manage the left hand as the right, which thing shall be (if not necessary) yet most profitable in every other kind of weapon. But in these principally he is to resolve himself, that he can do no good, without that kind of nimbleness and dexterity. For seeing they are two weapons, and yet of one self same kind, they ought equally and indifferently to be handled, the one performing that which the other does, and every of them being apt as well to strike as defend. And therefore a man ought to accustom his body, arms and hands as well to strike as defend. And he which is not much practiced and exercised therein, ought not to make profession of this Art: for he shall find himself to be utterly deceived."**

I lent back against the bedpost. _Had Zoro lost many times before? He couldn't be that much older than me, could he? How could he have got so good at using two swords and use them in such perfect sinque. _I glance down at my sword, _He must have been training since he was a child, I picked up Shigure drew her out of her sheath. I only started in my late teens. Well,... properly that is waving a wooden stick about when you're a child, by yourself wasn't training, but playful imagination. _

I set down Shigure across my lap. I love how the light from the nearby lamp gets reflected off the shiny metal surface of her blade. I watched as I moved a reflection from the blade, over my ceiling, moving it this way and that. My hand gripped the hilt. I could hold it so tightly, and yet he had knocked it clean out of my hands.

_Yesterday, I can truthfully say, was my first real experience and test of my skills in a life-or-death situation. Zoro had made all the other pirates I had come across so far, look like weaklings. It was no wonder he had been so good as a bounty hunter._

_Once I had started practicing swordmanship, I became aware of how stupid some authors, writers, and scriptwriters were who wrote stories about characters who randomly pick up any sword and start fighting with it. It takes a man a long time to get used to a sword._

**2. Know your swords. **

**If you want to fight with two long blades, both of them should be yours because you want to be familiar with their characteristics-their weight, their balance, how well they respond to changes of guards, how easy it is to track them through cuts and thrusts, and many other subtle variables that are easily missed by people with no swordsmanship training whatsoever. A blade picked up at random is practically guaranteed to be **_**un**_**familiar; even if it was part of the same production batch as your own blade, the sword is likely to have received minor or major personal customizations that would make it feel "odd" in your hand, and the attention you need to spare for the impromptu adaptation to this new blade would distract you from the more important effort of coordinating your swords' movements into a seamless whole.**

**In short, _don't_ just pick up a sword lying around and hope that you'll become instantly proficient in combining it with your other blade. If you want to fight with two long swords, make sure that both of them are with you right from the beginning and that you've totally accustomed yourself to the peculiarities of each.**

So that is some advice people can't just ignore. I have spent years training and I chose my sword because it felt right in my hand. Why did Zoro take Kitetsu the third? It didn't look like he really wanted it that much just considering it. But then again as soon as he heard the rumors of that sword it seemed to make him want it more. Was Zoro's main purpose for living just to break the rules everyone else lived by? He didn't use Kitetsu against me. Was that luck on my part or a conscious decision on his? If he had drawn the cursed sword would I be dead right now?

I shuddered at the thought. It wasn't luck though. There had been a reason he had stayed his hand. What,. What was it?... It was that girlfriend of his that he said I looked like. Who did he say she was? He didn't give her name then, Wait! He called me by a different name that other time.

I put my head in my hands. What had he called me as he left that shop? Was it the same person's name that he had spoken about later the one I looked just like?

**"See you around, Kuina." **

Yes! He had said that to me.

So, Wait... he called me by his girlfriend's name. I felt an unwilling blush spread across my face. I hadn't even thought about that before.

Time to change the subject! I turned back to the book.

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**3. Don't use it on a massed battlefield. Two swords can be a viable style for a one-on-one duel, one against few, but you are not to use it in a war zone and for good reason. The environment of massed hand-to-hand combat doesn't allow the two-sword style to develop its full effectiveness, mostly because the style requires such intense concentration on individual defense and offense that it inhibits the coordination needed for effective formation fighting. In any case, the opponents a swordsman might meet on the battlefield are likely to be armored-which is the crux of the next point.**

**4. Use it only against unarmored or poorly-armored opponents. Wielding a single sword two-handed is a much better choice against a fairly well-armored opponent because you _need_ the extra power and precision of a two-handed grip for finding the gaps, joints, and/or weak points in the armor. This applies regardless of whether your opponent is armored in mail, scale, lamellar, or plate.  
**

_Not many people wear armor nowadays so in some form or another Zoro has an advantage, but in order for Zoro to actually fight properly against an armoured person if he comes across one, he would have to learn how to make his hands stronger just for the precision of accurate cuts. Unless he finds a way to cut through steal. Like that could ever happen._

**5. What guards to use? Different masters have different opinions about this; one of the most common guards has both swords held low near the corresponding hips with the points angled upwards and inwards towards the opponent's face. Another modifies this by having the rear blade (that is, the sword on the side of the rear foot) held at shoulder height and angled slightly upwards across the body to protect the head. The third has the forward blade similarly poised near the hip while the rear blade is held with the hilt high above the head and the blade sloping downwards to point directly at the opponent's face. **

_Now that I think about it, he didn't seem to bothered about his guard. It was a if he didn't even care. But then again, maybe you didn't need a guard if you were always attacking your opponent and not letting them get near you. There had been a few times when I had got close to a head strike, but he had blocked them all._

**6. Don't fall into a rigid, predictable pattern. It's true that the masters say one blade should be defending when the other attacks, and that this is a practical advice worth more than its weight in gold. But don't always use the same blade for the same role; each blade should be able to flow from attack to defense and vice versa as the situation demands, and the other blade should be able to match by instantly taking up the opposite role. Note that, as with any other form of swordsmanship, the "defensive" blade does not defend just by blocking the way for the enemy's attack in a static manner. Quite the contrary-the most effective kind of defense with the sword threatens the enemy with a counterattack at the same time that it shields the swordsman's person from harm. One good way to do this in a two-sword style is to keep the defensive blade pointing towards the enemy in such a way that it would impale him/her if he/she attacks directly from his/her current position.**  
**Another good way to defend offensively-particularly against a similarly-armed enemy-is by using the defensive blade to find and bind both of the opponent's blades and shift them out of line as the offensive blade moves in with a cut or thrust at the opponent's exposed body.**

**I **find it hard to believe that one man could be so good at fighting. I put down the book, resheathed Shigure, and took off my glasses. _Now I should be able to sleep._ I rolled over to try and get some rest. I needed to get some before I was demanded outside.

_How strong is he? He must have been training all his life. What is his purpose for fighting?_

_What are these questions doing in my head right now? __Why is my head hurting? _I grabbed the hard pillow I was sleeping on and threw it to the floor. _The last thing I need right now is to let my mind wonder again. _

_Sleep_

_Sleep_

_._

"**Is it because I'm a woman? … I didn't just pick up this sword to play around." **_ I can't believe I said that it sounds so stupid now..._

**.**

"**I can't stand the fact that you exist! You have the same face as a girl I once knew who died a long time ago!" **_Ahhhh! No! I can't think about this right now!_

_._

_What if he had taken me as a hostage? Tied me up and dragged me with him. Thank God he didn't. Did it cross his mind that it would have been a good way to escape, one without need for worry about an attack from the marines? Would the strawhat pirates have thrown me overboard once they were out of harms way or would they have made me stay? What would that have been like?_

_**NO MORE!**__ I need to get up. The only reason I can imagine not being able to sleep is that I haven't distracted my mind enough. I need food, not a book, I need food. I got up and started humming away to my sleep deprived mind.  
_

_._

_Give me food._

_It's Time to eat._

_When I get in the mood._

_Then I'll sleep._

_._

I reached into my pack that was beside the bed. _**YEAH! Chocolates! Just what I need right now. Yummy. **_Once I had those, I grabbed my water flask, from another pouch, drank from it and poured some of its contents over my head. _Oh, that felt better. Now I can get some rest. _I lay back down on my bed. My head was still aching, but it'll be fine in the morning. I closed my eyes and let my body relax. Time for sleep.

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**I hope You liked it! Give me feedback. :D**

**I'm also open to requests.**

**Where would you like to see this story go? **

**More detail or more action?**

**Or more romance?**

**Let me know! Bye! **


	11. Savage Seas

**I Don't own One Piece, but I'm happy to say that I'm generous enough to write you free stories of the Amazing One Piece world. Sorry no Pictures. This isn't a Manga.**

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Tashigi's Heart: Savage Seas

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I couldn't remember when I had felt so bad upon waking up, _(but I couldn't have made the bad decision any worse than I had done already. Well... knowing my luck I might be able to._) I had woken up suddenly from deep sleep and could have sworn that I heard someone calling for me on deck. I remember running as fast as I could out my door to receive my Captains orders. Once I had run out of my room and onto deck I noticed it was dark, and not many people were about. I smelt that the Captain was near, his haze of smoke was something I could still tell apart even if I was going a bit blind.

"What are you doing, Tashigi?" he mumbled through his cigars.

"Reporting for duty …!" I started, but then felt a massive pain shoot through my skull. It was as if someone had smacked me over the head with a mallet. I put my hand up to touch my head._ Nothing, no lump, no scratch, no... nothing._

It was then that I thought the deck felt wet, I looked down at my feet. Horror ripped through me, (I HAD NO SHOES ON!) "Ahhhhh!" T_his is a disaster! The world looked like it was going from grey , black, and white to colour every few seconds._

"I'm so sorry Captain! Please may I be excused..." My head suddenly felt heavy and the floor looked closer than it had before. I heard the Captain yell something, but I forgot what it was. I'm sorry my memory doesn't remember anything after that.

.

That was a day I wish to eternally forget, but unfortunately everyone on board thought it was hilarious and recounted how funny it was every time they could. I had made a very bad first impression on all the crew on board this ship. The stories got worse as the gossip increased. The original was straight from the Captain, that I had fainted and he had had someone take me to my quarters. 'Some people didn't like that version though so they started a new one; this one said that the Captain caught me in his arms as I fell and carried me back into my cabin. Another liked that one, so it was added to. That the Captain had gone into my cabin and stayed with me for three hours 'til morning. And then... unfortunately that was added to by a few more repulsive individuals saying, 'That they, had heard a bed creaking that night, had heard (a woman) moaning and groaning', and then as if they hadn't don't enough damage to my reputation already they added that 'the Captain had (humped her) so hard that (the woman) couldn't barely stand for a week.' Once I did eventually get up, (after one week) heard the whispers of the stories and noticed the sexual looks and nods I got from some of the men. I was filled me with dread and disgust, these were the people I was supposed to be putting my life on the line for. This was not how it was supposed to start out. I received some more winks the next day, and a few actually had the audacity to ask me if it was true or not. (IT WAS NOT TRUE) I wish I could dig a hole and disappear into it, but that is impossible on-board a ship. So I disappeared into my Cabin instead (ALONE) to recover the from the rest of my illness. (ALONE)

I was bed ridden for a week or two with a very serious (fever / flu) and I must have read through my books about three times each whilst I was in recovery. So when I finally got out everyone was into the swing of things and organized, I couldn't be useful, everyone was busy I just felt in the way. Captain Smoker was a great source of relief (NOT in that way) he always found something for me to do, and always seemed to have a great deal to discuss, things that were in fact interesting.

"Well, we now get to head into the Grand Line." Captain Smoker muttered, "In some ways I wish **Kairoseki** didn't work." he took in a deep breath, "It would make this trip less boring."

He didn't really think that, or else he wouldn't carry a Kairoseki (sea prisim stone) poll on his back. "Oh, no need to be worried." I answered, it might sound a little patronizing, but his grumpy attitude was getting on my nerves. I felt so excited, we were actually going into the Grand Line! Just two more days to go. "Many other marines have used them and they have managed to get into the Grand Line fine with no problems."

"It's not getting to the Grand Line that I'm thinking of, it's passing through the calm belt that is the problem." He pulled out his cigar stubs and snuffed them out on the outside of the hull. _Why? Why did you do that when you know it annoys me? Just because it's the outside doesn't mean you should treat it like a junk dumping ground._ He pulled out two more, lit them and put them straight back in his mouth. _That is sooooo unhealthy..._

"Many Ships have been rumoured to be lost at sea when they come through here."

_Was he trying to scare me._.

"Oh, Captain didn't you hear? We have one of the latest marine designs for deep-sea voyagers. And anyway most ships lost at sea - other than those involved in collisions with other ships - fall prey to the pirate attacks more than they do to sea kings. The calm belt which has an amazing amount of latter does have a calm wave pattern that can be moderately predictable. Although rescue at sea is possible up to a point, the best hope of a ship in peril is its built-in capacity to ride out a vicious storm, which we probably won't find here. It is then that a man is tested to his limits, with the lives of the crew and their ship hanging in the balance." I paused for dramatic effect_, I love stories of the sea._

I then continued, "Fundamentally, what holds a ship up in good or bad weather is its buoyancy." I moved my glasses up again, "A ship floats because the volume of water that it displaces equals or is greater than its weight. Or, in other words, the "hole" a ship makes in the water occupies a certain volume, and if the ship weighs less than the water it would take to fill the hole, it will float." I started using my arms and pointing as I was trying to describe my findings to the Captain, "When water seeps or floods into a ship's interior, the vessel is slowly robbed of buoyancy and, eventually, it will be dragged under by its own weight unless the leak can be plugged. Thankfully we have two hulls, one being made from sea prisim stone and the inner from wood, the air gap between those two increases our Buoyancy and overall we're far better off."

I had finished for the time being, I smiled back at him. "And because Pirates don't know what to use to get through we don't need to worry about attacks from them. So the only things we need to fear in this situation are sea monsters who don't get turned away by the sea stone we have put in place, or someone running the ship directly into an unknown current with unseen barrier riffs in it, and lastly if someone just decided to shoot a cannon ball into the hull." I looked at him waiting for his reply.

"Don't say such ridiculous things."

I pouted, _he wouldn't know intelligence or wisdom if he was hit over the head with it. It would just pass through him never landing anywhere. Smoke king._

It was such beautiful weather. I couldn't remain unhappy for long. _Everything felt just GREAT! The air was warm, the sun was hot, and the water was pure and transparent … was transparent … was_ … "AHHHH!" I yelled out loud, causing the Captain glare at me for making such a noisy disturbance.

"Captain!" I pointed, "Look! There are bubbles coming up the side of the ship!"

"Yeah,..." He was speaking as if I was an idiot.

"No." I answered back in the same TOV (tone of voice). Was he deliberately being annoying. "That's not supposed to be happening!"

"It's just a part of the wake, Tashigi."

"No it's not. It's coming up from a different area." I turned to face him and stood to attention. "Permission to investigate, Sir!"

The Captain sighed, as if he had just been told to work full time on his day off, "Permission granted."

I turned and ran downstairs to stop the rowers and to find out the truth. Once the ship had stopped my theory was proven correct, much to everyone's distress. Every 10 seconds there were a few massive bubbles that were released and came up on one side of the ship. Which only could mean two things that there was a leak, or a massive creature had made a home under the ship. Some members of the crew started to panic saying things like they wish they never had come and others that they knew it would come to something like this, I heard one say it was because there was a woman onboard. _I'll show you what it means to have a woman onboard!_

_How dare they!?_

The Captain Didn't look or act to fazed by the problem that they were facing. "What are you all gawking at? 'You never seen Air Bubbles BEFORE!" He grabbed the nearest Marine to him, "You! get the diving gear and go check it out?"

"Me Sir?" he paused in his uncertainty, stuck between his loyalty and want to preserve his life. "Yes, Captain." The regret in his voice was obvious.

I shook my head, "Captain, if I may ask, It might not be wise to send someone swimming down there." _I wasn't asking, I am telling YOU, and you will listen_, "The ripples and waves they will make might just bring up other sea monsters who are not yet aware of our presence." At my words the entire crew flinched, whether at my comment that the Captain was not being wise, or the one on bringing up more sea monsters, I'm not sure. "I have brought with me a Screen Snail. If we were to put it into a glass box, weighted so it sinks, but held up by a rope or chain, and use sea prisim stone for the base of the cage, we could look at what was underneath the ship without risking anyone's life."

I could almost feel the relief of the men in front of me, like an audible sigh down my neck, at my suggestion.

"Good Idea.' Smoker nodded, "Go get it."

.

It was amazing how well everyone worked together when you put their lives on the line. Soon a cage had been put together and sealed with the snail inside, I had set up the screen that revealed all that the snail saw.

"Alright! It's all set up!" I called out to everyone, "Get ready to lower the snail."

The Captain confirmed, "Just Do it already." and a few of the members of the crew started to lower the snail down into the deep blue, infested waters.

You could feel the tension in the air. It felt alive and real like you could reach out and almost cut it with a knife. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the picture to appear. What was down there? Brooding and nesting in the keel of the ship. Was it a sea serpent or something else?

The picture came to the screen as the snail went down. So far no problem. The Screen Snail glanced up at the rippling surface above, as if bidding us his farewell, and then glance directly down. Nothing but a deep blue colour for most of the way down and then it became a murky thick dense black. Not being able to see anything there, the snail glanced in front of him, (that was the port side of the hull) and then turned his eyes three hundred and sixty degrees around him to get an areal view. When nothing of interest caught his eyes he fixated them back on the ship. Slowly ever so slowly as the picture started changing and the snail went lower, the keel started to come into view.

Just then a massive, deep yellow, luminous eye appeared before them, the creature was eyeing them up. There were a few audible gulps, of those who counted themselves fortunate to have not been the one sent down there. Then obviously not thinking much of a snail as an intruder, It twisted away and latched onto a large balloon like substance that was now attached to the bottom of the boat.

"Well!" I exclaimed, relieved, "It's not a sea king, but a red leopard eel." who would have guessed. "I can't believe it, they're so rare. The red leopard eel hasn't been seen in over one hundred and seventy years, some people say that all possible nesting grounds for the East Blues Red Leopard Eel have been destroyed and that they probably go extinct. I never thought that the rumors of them nesting in and eating away at Kairoseki were real, and it looks like she is using our ship as a nesting place. Wow! this is so exciting." At my words, most of the men around me backed off and turned away from a person they now considered crazy to someone they thought would be more practical.

"Oi! Tashigi?" the Captain questioned, "How much do you think this thing is worth?" pointing at the screen.

I looked at the picture of the Eel before me. "The Red Leopard Eal has only ever been found in the East Blue, it has never crossed into the Grand line before." I_t had such amazing and vibrant colours_ "Poor thing, it must have latched on when we passed 'Ratis' Reef'." I paused "And as for money," I glanced up the Captain. "I have no idea how much it's worth, but since it looks like she has a nest there... I'd say if we manage to breed them somehow and feed them off the materials they need, we could most certainly sell them for a lot of money." I carried on, this was important. "One of the reasons that these creatures were hunted so much by fisherman and sea farers was for their healing properties in their skins. Because they feed primarily on different and unusual minerals, doctors have been able to make ointments and medicines, that cure many sorts of sicknesses." I think that was correct. "Some of the more superstitious people have said if you eat a Red Leopard eel you never get sick at sea again, but of course no one has any proof of that yet."

"Okay, it's decided." Captain Smoker spoke up.

"We're gonna have some eel stew." the crew's jaws dropped to the floor.

"CAPTAIN!"

"Get your diving gear on and go get em." Dread was thick in the air, but I felt quite positive about this. Was that a good thing or a bad omen.

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**End of Chapter 11. I hope you liked it.**


	12. Depths of Nothing

**Here's Chapter 12 ! Yay!**

**Well guys, I'm starting to have a problem. My mind just won't stop thinking up future events, alternative endings and unusual changes. I've already thought about circumstances years and years later in the plot of the story, and when I get round to them I want to change and alter them again. My typing just can't keep up with my mind. It is a very frustrating business.**

**I don't know One Piece****, and I would like to give my congratulations and condolences to Eiichiro Oda. It must have been a lot of hard work to write One Piece, and it doesn't even feel close to being finished. Wow! I love your story, but do you never stop to take a break? I'm worried, but even so...Please don't stop...**

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Tashigi's Heart: The Depths of Nothing

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The key to the success of this mission was calmness of mind and body and absolute precision. There were five of us who were sent down to investigate and fetch the Red Leopard Eel and her nest from our keel. The men all looked very hardened and strong. I felt tiny compared to them, but I wanted to do this. To long have I just studied and not be able to go out and do the practical things I had always dreamed of doing and now this was my chance.

Glancing down at the water from above, now with intention of swimming in it, I suddenly felt it didn't look as beautiful as it did before. The sun still shone brightly and the water glistened with it's light like a mirror, but that didn't hold back my feeling of dread. I know what sort of beasts live in these waters. One deep breath... "Whu-p" I looked down. Now this was it.

"Haah..." I breathed out. "Time to go." I said as cheerfully as possible.

"Wait, you're really coming with us?" Some of these sailors had never met me, so they didn't know what to expect.

"Yes, of course." I said with no hesitation, "Now remember not too much movement or it might bring up the bigger fish."

I strapped my sheath onto my back with Shigure inside it, absailed down a rope from the ship and slipped into the sea. The water was so cold, I could feel my muscles seizing up and trying to clamp down and stop moving. Even with the diving gear we had on, that was supposed to make you feel warmer in the water, I found my limbs began aching and my feet wanted to curl up and not move at all.

I grabbed a hold of the rope that had been thrown down to me and attached it to the nets. We were making sure that once we did have the beasts that they would have no chance to escape. Picking up the breathing equipment that was handed to me I placed it firmly over my face (I had managed to get a hold of some goggles with my prescription), and pushed my head underwater. If I was going to be a leader that these men wanted to respect then I would have to do my duty without hesitation or fuss.

We had brought down with us some devices that (cannot be named because their names are classified) and nets attached to the pulley system, and our weapons of choice. We kept close to the ship's hull and swam slowly down. The water pressure was becoming thicker and heavier.

_I wasn't used to this. I think I'll practice depth diving and swimming with mysword a little more often. I trained with weights and swam with them on multiple occasions. But if this was tiring me out, how was I supposed to fight with anything? If I could barely lift my own sword, what would happen in a real fight? Right I need to practice swimming with weighted clothing._

We were within eyesight of the nest now. And the Adult Red Leopard Eel was nowhere to be seen. If we were lucky and the young eels were still in the early part of there hatching stage then we wouldn't have to worry about them breaking free of their transparent egg. We got up close and a young man, whose name I don't remember, held up a small light to the nest. We could see the damage these sea creatures had been doing to our ship, eating away at the exterior. Thankfully they hadn't eaten through it completely, or else we would have started to sink already.

I motioned for the men with the dislodging tools to come to the front, and get to work with removing the nest. They were very good and precise, and the rubbery egg quickly came off. Now that I could see the thing up close I would have to say it had to be 2.5 meters in diameter. It made me feel so tiny next to it. What was really strange is that it didn't seem to have any particular shape, as in, when it was pulled one direction it morphed into one shape, and then changed again when pulled into another. It doesn't take us long to wrap up the one massive egg inside the nets, and once that was done those who were one top were able to pull it back. (they had lowered the snail again to check and scope out the dangers)

I couldn't help, but wonder. Where the adult Red Leopard Eel had gone? Curiosity got the better of me and I swam further down so I could get a good look at the ship. This breed of Eel was extremely protective of their nests, and had to be around here somewhere. I flipped over, my face looking up to the ship and the lighter water above, I could see head or tail of the Eel anywhere.

_I have a bad feeling about this. Where did you go? _I turned around again and looked down into the sea depths. _Was that movement down there, or was it my own imagination? It was so dark I couldn't make it out. What if she didn't leave? What if she had been taken by something else? Well I think it might be time to go. _

I swam upwards breathing out slowly as I ascended. I couldn't shake off the terrible feeling of something coming after me, chasing me. I could just make out the rest of my team at the side of the boat climbing up. That was good that means the mission in itself was completed with no casualties.

For one foolish, stupid moment I glanced down, (or maybe it was wise to) and saw a huge tentacle reach up from the dark depths it was only about 5 meters below me, without a second thought I dislodged my Shigure and swung it down using my own body movement in the water to help it swing.

Fighting in the water is a lot harder than it looks, since your body needs the central force of gravity for balance, hard swings and stable footing. Being underwater gives you nothing, but flexibility. And when fighting against an invertebrate a human is at a massive disadvantage.

Author note: (Unless he is made of rubber)

My sword came down on it's tentacle and cut through it. I didn't bother congratulating myself then and there, this was just one tentacle, there was bound to be more coming. I swam upwards as hard as I could for the ship, but it was then that I noticed the darkness of the deep sea seemed to be moving and seething. How big was this beast?!

Something latched itself onto my ankle, and started curling up my leg. It was tugging me down preventing me from going any further. My sword sliced through the rubbery substance again, but there was no break in-between the attacks now. Fear began to brake into my mind. There was no way I could fight this thing off all by myself, and if I don't get back to the ship I'll be putting everybody else in danger.

I cut away the nearest tentacle and stole a glance at the shimmering surface. Well it wasn't shimmering it was obstructed by an arm of the beast after me. It was HUGE about 4 meters wide. _There is no way I'm going to survive this... I'm not going to make it. How can I cut through that?_

The giant tentacle came down on top of me, the suction pads immediately latching onto what it found, across my chest, around my back, then up in-between by legs and around one of them. I had always been quite athletic but never been able to split my legs very far apart, but now I wasn't given a choice. I felt my right leg clunk out of place as it made space for the tentacle to move around. The pain was excruciating.

"AHHHH!" I screamed under the mask, that was surprisingly still on my face, and it held me tighter. My right hand and arm were still free, and I kept on cutting into it, but it felt as if I wasn't even doing anything. Not even slowing it down one bit. I could feel the suction pads moving becoming wider as they spread over my body. I felt them clamping down and …

A sharp pin-like needle feeling cut in through my clothes, through my skin, and into my back, neck, chest stomach, leg, and other parts. My entire body froze, and numbed, my legs and arms twitching uncontrollably. I could feel myself relaxing against my will, and the hand which gripped my sword was beginning to release.

_No! no! Don't let go! I won't give in! I want to live! I had too! Just don't let go!_

Was it me or did everything look a little darker? I started to feel no pain at all. A weird feeling of happiness kicked in as I started to relax. This had to be some sort of drug that gets put into the creature's food to stop it from fighting back. My legs gave a final few kicks then my entire body relaxed, and my hand let go.

No! not now! My mind screamed at me, but there was nothing I could do. The pressure of the large tentacle lessoned and removed itself completely. In that brief moment of numb freedom I was able to glance up again for what I thought would be my last time. The ship was already gone. That was good, they had managed to get away.

I new something had grabbed me again because I moved suddenly in the water, being pulled quickly this way and that, but I could feel nothing. I watched as a very small worm-like tentacle wound itself up my leg around my body and then my neck and pulled me down, down wherever that was. It worked it's way into my mask and the water got in.

Well this was it. My mask came completely off and thus rendering me blind. It didn't matter any-more that I couldn't see. There was no way I could get out of this one. Since I was in no control of my systems any-more a few seconds later my useless body breathed in water for oxygen. The burning feeling filled my chest as I began to drown. And the world went dark, as my body went into panic mode from the loss of oxygen.

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I was being dragged up a beach by something. Was I dead? No, if I was dead then my arms and legs in my new body should be working. I still felt numb all over, but my eyes were working, and the sun was still shining. The shadows were long, and I could see a human-like shape walking beside me. I say it was human-like because in this light it looked like it had six arms. Maybe I was just going crazy, having been saved from the clutches of the ignominious squid, I was thankful to this thing, but it looked like another sea monster.

It dropped me very unceremoniously onto the ground. Thankfully it didn't hurt because I was still under the influence of whatever was injected into me. And then he pulled me into an upright sitting position and had me slouching against something. Now that we were above the murky water I could see that he didn't look that different from the creature I had just faced before, having a very squid/octopus-like appearance with six arms with suction pads dotted about over, under and around them. This had to be one of those fishmen creatures. I had never seen one before up close. Who was this guy and why did he save me?

He dropped a sword into the ground in-front of me. _Wait! Shigure! He had Shigure! He must caught it when I dropped it. Wow, what a stroke of luck. I'm never this lucky._

He lifted four of his many squid like arms and folded them above and across his chest. "You're lucky, I got curious and swam up just in time Marine!" He lifted his top pair of arms and crossed them over his head and looked very proud of himself as he leant back on the fowl smelling rock face. I knew normally this sort of thing would bother me, but right now I just felt relief and thankfulness for just being alive.

"Your friends were able to go, but I saw they left you, so when I saw your sword fall I thought nice sword who does it belong to. Then I noticed you. What is a woman doing fighting a sea king all by herself? Even our mermaids have better sense to swim away when they come near, but you human women are crazy. Nami was weird like that too, but not as crazy … " He was extremely talkative and my mind just couldn't keep up with what he was saying. I could feel the ground underneath me, and I could twitch my fingers and toes feeling was coming into me quicker than I had excepted.

My eyes glanced around trying to take in all my surroundings. All the rocks was covered with seaweed from every visible angle, and it stank as seaweed only does when it has been drying in the sun for hours. That's good my nose still works. Did he like that smell? Fishmen were weird.

But my thoughts weren't dwelling on thanking or congratulating strangers for their bravery. Now that I was out of the cold water, pain began to rip though my arms and tingle in my skin. I moved one arm hesitantly then the other, it was okay to move. I then pulled off the top half of my tight long-sleaved diving gear very carefully, and see thousands of little hooks had been in bedded into my neck, arms, hands, and chest. It took my many years of harsh training and discipline to not just scream out in shock and horror, or maybe I was just tired. I reached out for one of them to start the unpicking process.

"I wouldn't do that," He tilted his head a side, "if I were you." the fishman stated with mouth left hanging open in-between his sentences.

Now it was time to test my voice. "W … why sh..sh..should.. dn't I?" I don't know why, but I've never been that good at concealing what ever is on my mind. "Th .. they are po...oison...ous righ..t? I shou...ld ge..t them out as so..oon as pos...sible."

"Yes, but now ya're out of the water and sun drying it can't harm ya the same way." he paused and wrapped his arms around his body, legs, head, and then at last chin, and then scratched his forehead. Gosh, It was so hard pay attention to anything he said, he was just so weird. "It is supposed to itch ya humans to sleep, but then you wake up a few hours later." he then lifted his head right up from his thoughtful position and stared right at me. "If you move them, or try to dislodge them the tips will break off in ya skin, and BUUURRHSA!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at his sudden outburst. Calm down calm down... He was just being stupid. "W.. what do...oes Bur..hsa mean?" I asked as calmly as I could. _Come on mouth work properly._

"BUUURRHSA! BUrhAs? Buhasr? Hubasr? Buursha? I don't know." He gave me what you could say might pass for a grin, "Ya will die. And not live anymore, and dream of fish, and scaly tails wrapping around yours, and baby fish, and eggs,..."

_For some reason my facial expressions seemed to be working. I could feel my muscles in my face again, and I think it showed some of my disgust. I am not one to hide my opinion from someone if I think they needed to hear it, if I thought that their conversation wasn't worthy of my attention and this topic was one what I would definitely deem unnecessary._ But my stupid mouth wasn't working very well.

"...and more fish, food, and more money and more mermaids... I never got one to like me..." He put his hand thingys over his eyes and started to cry.

_Oh please: crying fishman, a hungry Giant Squid-thing (I never got to see the whole of it), a nesting Red Leopard Eel. What was going to come next? A singing sea shell? Today has been a bizarre day for abnormal encounters._

"I always wanted a family, but I'll die too... and never know the joy a..."

_I zoned off for a bit my vision was getting blurry again. What was I going to do? And how was I going to find my way back to the Marines? I took a glance at my weeping saviour, No way he didn't mean any harm. If he had done he would have already hurt me by now. And he wouldn't have even tried to save me. He went out of his way to save me, which was exceedingly kind. _

"...and pets to f...find and f...feed... a...and s...six swords to start collecting again..." He took another deep breath. "WAAAOOOOHHH..." ;(

"Excuse me, good fishman?" I interrupted his wail. YES, my voice was working again. "Do you say you used to collect swords? What type?" This was interesting, just stay alert! I had never heard of a fishman who collected swords before. Stay awake, find out information!

"Any!... it doesn't matter. My ooold swords were destroyed..." Any? What sort of amateur just collects six swords of anything.

He started mumbling through those...lips?... I wasn't quite sure what to call them. Maybe he was just a big liar with nothing better to do than create stories through that... The mouth, Large nostril?

"It was on that terrible week, when I was just minding my business doing fishing on the shore. And I made my pets favourite food! But he didn't come when I whistled." He opened that creepy cave of a mouth, "It sounded like this"... "*#$ ):) 0*0.#.!+-)=_(- _)!"

Uhhh! "NOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" Wow, I actually had the strength to yell. What's that ghastly noise? It was giving me one massive headache, or maybe that was my yell that gave me a headache.

"And he didn't come... I had just decided to not let it go to waste and eat it myself, when a human interrupted my peaceful thoughts." he put on a deep voice that I suppose was to sound like a human, "Hey?!" 'He said to me' "Are you the one that blew the trumpet?" 'and I said "Ahhh? Who are you," 'but that's rude to ask first I said so,' "Me? I'm Ha-chan, but you can call me Hachi."

_How long was this story going to last?_ …

"And then he insulted me by asking 'IF I WAS A MERMAN TOO' of course I was a merman! I'm a meroctopus man THAT is sooooo much better."

"But I was so polite and gave him a lift and sent him directions, to my bosses, captains,,., and he stabbed me in the back... no he LIED TO ME and said he was a marine! nnnooo,,, a guest,... that was it a guest. And murdered all my friends, no enemies, no all the fishman in the East Blue.." He circular mouth slapped shut as he began to commiserate over the past. They started quivering, "He said maybe he was a guest … "

His tentacles/ arms were flying, wiggling, flabbing about all over the place as only an almost invertebrate could, "MAYBE?" "But Arlong was not here, there, at that dreadful place, and he wanted to see them. Him. And to demanded a lift, no I convinced me... MADE ME DO IT!

_I was really tired of this. Had this creature really saved me from that sea monster. He was acting like a wimp, and I had always assumed that fishmen were terrifying, manipulative, untrustworthy creatures. And here was one who couldn't even retell his own stories without ruining them himself._

"What has this story got to do with me?" I interrupted, "I want to thank you for you help earlier, but I have no time for these things. I don't mean to seem rude, but I'm more concerned about getting back with my crew-mates and my Captain."

"My name is Hachi! So pleased to meet a captain, no what, What is your name Marine? I help marines because that is what Arlong pirates do?" he paused, his eyes going wide. "Ah! No! not any-more!? Not since then!..."

_He certainly was distracting I could give him that, but I was beginning to feel weak and tired. My neck, it was as if it had caught on fire, burning my neck befiely then my chest, then my arms, then back up to my neck again. It was a living fire, unseen running up and down my body with a will of its own._

I took in a sharp breath, "Please? Quiet, My neck is aching.." okay no more talking...

"Don't kill me for being polite! I said. And then he picked up his only sword. Just one! I have six to show you I said. I showed him all six. AND HE LAUGHED AT ME! No he asked for directions to Arlong and 'How to get to the village?' HOW. HE HAD JUST KILLED EVERYONE! and then he cut up all my swords and Said he 'didn't need three sword style to kill me. Just one sword would be fine' I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO INSULTED! No, he did use three-sword style...yes...no!"

"Wait? You said three-sword style?" I inquired, "Are you talking about Roronoa Zoro?"

"Yes, he is the human man with green hair." Tears continued to run down his face, "He cut me up real bad! With three swords, he cut all my swords in half. All six of them!"

_So he had met Zoro too. Woah, Zoro got around quite a bit. I wasn't quite sure whether I should be impressed or mortified. If what this fishman said was true then Zoro had been more incredible than first impressions had made him out to be. _"Did Zoro really cut down all the fishmen on your Island or are you just making it up?"

"NO! I'm not making it up. He had one sword first then his other friends threw him their swords. So he had three to attack me with. And before he met me, without me knowing he killed all my brothers at Arlong Park."

_Arlong Park? Isn't that a pirates den_? ... "YOU'RE A PIRATE!" _I could feel a boiling anger rising inside me. Arlong park had been that place the Strawhat kid destroyed. This fishman had to have been one of the survivors. One of the Arlong pirates that had threatened the citizens of that area in the Blue Sea for ten years._

"Yes, I was … It was a wonderful life with lots of free money, and we only had to pay 5% of our well earned gold to the Marine Investigator. He was so understanding."

_A marine... How shameful. It was horrid to know there were marines out there who had simply signed up for power and promotions, who cared little for the well-being of the common man and more about how he could fill his own pockets._ "Tell me. Where did you acquire your gold from?"

"We travelled many places, to many Islands, and received lots of food and taxes from the townspeople." he smiled at this as if he was delivering good news. "Nami was so helpful back then the best navigator the Arlong Pirates have ever had." His face turned sour as he remembered the rest.

"And now the Strawhat kid has got her. He killed Arlong, destroyed our home, and stole her from the Arlong pirates." he took a deep breath, "We will never forgive the strawhat, even though Arlong was mean to me and they didn't kill me. We can never forgive the Pirate hunter!... Wait is he a pirate hunter? When he works for a pirate?... hum? Maybe... no..."

"He was a pirate hunter once, but now has abandoned that dishonourable trade for something far worse." I spoke into his musings.

So the Strawhat kid, Monkey D. Luffy also has the Arlong Pirates' best navigator on board their ship. I can now verify that there are four people that I know are a part of his crew. There is their Captain Monkey D. Luffy, then the Swordsman Roronoa Zoro, the Navigator Nami, and that man in black who was with strawhat, and Roronoa Zoro that night at Loguetown. The Buggy Pirates had had about a hundred men in the square that night, and the only members of Strawhat Pirates that I saw was those two. What sort of man picks a fight with a pirate gang when the odds are 30 to one. The strawhat pirates were very interesting.

I needed to get back as soon as possible. There was no time to spare. But I could still not move my legs, and I was beginning to feel really sick. The Fishman … Hachi? Was still recounting the events of his life and I could feel myself drifting off into sleep. He said this might happen right. I got some valuable information.

_I need to get back. I need to get back... _

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**Well I hope you like that extra long chapter. It took me an excessively long time to write it. I kept on rewriting it because it just didn't flow well enough. I was going to have a fight scene for Hachi, but it all became very complicated and long so I just had her drowning and seeing blackness when he came in to rescue her. **

**I like Hachi as a character, and I think he is quite funny and simple, and he was the ideal Fishman to save her from this situation. I also liked the idea of having Tashigi being saved by another terrible pirate, just to stab her pride, not that she hadn't been hurt enough already. **

**I have found it to be hard to upload recently. My family is very loving, in your face, and wants your time sort of family. And since I had a little time during July and August to see them I went to visit. I did enjoy myself there, but found it quite impossible to get into the flow of writing when I was summoned every few moments to do or see something. **

**But anyway! Summer in the UK this year has been GREAT! I'm a white girl with a tan that would impress a black woman. If I dyed my hair Black I might be mistaken for an Indian. Or a Female version of Luffy.**

:D

**Please don't forget to... REVIEW! I love hearing from people like my stories. It really boosts me up!**

**.**


	13. Hallucinations and Nightmares

**Chapter 13**

**I don't own One Piece. **

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**OH... MY … GOSH! I have just watched the 1990's anime 'Berserk', and it brought me to tears. After the first two episodes I couldn't stop watching it. The plot is amazing, creepy, and terrifying I just had to keep clicking on the next episode button. I then watched the movies they made last year, (Berserk Golden Age Arc 1, 2, and 3). I need more!**

**Anyway... What I'm trying to say is … if you think Zoro and Tashigi are hot together then watch 'BERSERK' and you'll fall in love with the characters Guts and Casca. Both swordsman/swordswoman and awesome fighters who hate each other and then end up falling in love. If you want inspiration for a Zo/Tash fanfiction watch it. I'm still crying. I think I'm in love with Guts.**

**What an awesome name for a muscled man, 'GUTS'. Just imagine the charge in battle, "Move out of our way! Because we've got the GUTS! The man who can slay One Hundred MEN!"**

**Yes, so that was WOW! I believe Zoro's awesome character was inspired into creation from Guts. Both are missing their left eyes, both like to sleep upright with their swords, both drink booze, both hate following orders, both don't seem to like stupid parties, but end up enjoying them anyway, both have a need to be the best and fight the best, both carry a miserable burden that they never tell to anyone, and both are awesome fighting tanks with swords, who carry on and on when everyone thinks they should be dead from loss of blood. **

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Anyway... moving on... I wouldn't describe this story as an M, but it is scary in it's own way and might not be suitable for some people. WARNING don't get nightmares!

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Tashigi's Heart: Hallucinations and Nightmares.

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I was in a world of damp heat. My skin was drenched and burning, suffering in this place's humidity. Was I in a forest or a jungle? I opened my eyes, to see that green hue predominated the area around, from the deep, dark tones of the rain forest to the lighter moss colours that I was lying on. All I could see was green. I tried to sit up and it was painful, but I managed. I took in a deep breath, and almost choked on the moisture. _One does not breathe the air here, one drinks it_. The heavy humidity prevented me from wanting to put my clothes back on.

I looked down to check my body over, it was still covered with black hooks. My left arm had taken the majority of them and was looking a purple-green colour. _It might just be the light?_

I moved my leg to stand myself up... I tried to move my leg, but to no avail. Either it was still dislocated or it was still numb from the injection I had received earlier.

"Hello?" I called out, _What was that his name again? That person who saved me?_ "Hello?... Fishman?" I winced, that was hurting my throat. _I hope he doesn't mind being called that. _

I saw a container just to the left of me. It looked like a water bottle of sorts. Thank God! This is just what I needed. I reached for it and drank the container dry. Only once I had finished it did I realize just how gross it tasted. Slightly slimy and stagment like it had just been pulled from a duck pond.

My muscles were still sore so I laid back down and rested again. _I wonder when that fishman will be getting back? I wonder how far away everyone is now?_ Before I knew it I had fallen asleep.

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I was on my back again, I was freezing, the world was closing in around me again. Every breath I took seemed to freeze the insides of my throat faster. What was I doing? Where am I? Nothing, I can see nothing. The only comfort I could determine was the solid ground beneath my stiff feet. I sat up, there was a sound of an echo, a dripping, the flowing of water not to far away. I tried to sense where it was. _Where on earth am I? I thought I was in a jungle before?_

The floor was damp and cold. This was no place to be lying around. I managed to get up on my feet and shuffled a small distance til I found a wall. This is good, my legs seem to be fine now, and if I'm able to find my way back by following this wall I would be able meet up with everyone again. The pathway seemed to me going downhill. Even in this close darkness my body could that there was a slight incline to this tunnel-like cave, but I had no way of knowing where I was going or how long it would take me to get there.

Everything seems fine. Wait! what was that? Did the wall just move. I pressed my hands against the wall again and just like before, and it shifted beneath my weight. "Ahhh!" I cried out. Don't worry... maybe it was just a bug, or creature living in the rocks. I should just leave it be... I moved away from the wall and started to continue down the rest of the pathway with no guidance. It shouldn't be to bad, how terrible could it be anyway. And it would have been fine, but the next thing to move was the floor. And there was no way that should be happening.

"What on earth is this?" I reached out my hand and grasped ahold of what was jutting out of the stone. Was this a root? My hand suddenly hurt and I could feel it burning in pain. I let go of the root, there must be some kind of acid or poison in it. "Well, there is no way I should be staying down here." And so I turned around and started back up again. I was slow at first, but then I got this terrible feeling that something evil was in this place, and started to quicken up my pace. _If I fall again onto that acidic plant I might not be able to get back up._ I don't know if that something heard me or if I had caught it's attention, but there was more movement in the floor now, and it wasn't long until I tripped up again.

The stone floor was now wriggling with living vines. Somehow I knew they were being guided by something other than instinct. It was growing like a weed, twisting its way breaking apart the stones and that feeding off all the life it en-counted. It wound itself around my ankles and wrists and I could feel it burning away the flesh there. I twisted around to grab... Shigure wasn't there... I had nothing to cut with. _What was I going to do? How on earth would I get out of this one? _The floor was moving more the stone having been desolved by the acidic plants. I couldn't die here! I had to leave. The grip around my ankles tightened and the root seemed to be growing. It twisted and spun its way up my legs. _What was Happening?!_

_**No one will come to save you.**_

_**No one really cares if you die.**_

_**You have no friends that will miss you.**_

_**You hate yourself! You hate your own pathetic life!**_

There was an acid in-bedded in the plant that came out of its fur frongs on the outside. I could feel it burning away my leg coverings and growing spreading my legs apart. It started spiraling around my stomach and then to my back. The plant was growing thicker and tightened so fast I could do nothing to prevent what would happen next. I experienced a brief moment of panic as I heard my spine snap. Then my body became nothing, I could do nothing I felt like a rag doll with a soul trapped inside a useless body. _Why was this happening again? Didn't this happen yesterday? Yes, this is just a dream, it was just a dream. I will wake up soon._I could see a flower bud opening beneath me, and it started to grow, this thing seemed to be searching for places of heat. I felt something pressing on the fabric in between my legs, and then it pushed through. It was hardly noticeable at first, but it was growing inside me now. _No, no, no_. I tried to move, but it was replacing my... my panic increased as it became bigger, thicker and still carried on. It had other branches or roots now I could feel them spreading out. It latched onto my spine and I started to move in bizarre ways as the plant was replacing it. I felt something moving in my chest and in around my ribs, it was going to reform me from inside out. It was becoming me. It was feeding off me.

Why wasn't I doing anything? I opened my … my mouth was already open, I had been screaming for some time, but somehow I was still silent. I could make no noise. All I could do was feel pain rocking me in this place.

_**WAKE UP! **_

_Wait, was someone else here in this hell? HELP!_

**WAKE UP!**

_Who are you?_

**WAKE UP!**

_I can't! Help ME!_

_"No!"_ and woke up suddenly gasping for air. I was still in pain, but I would prefer to be awake and feel the full brunt of this than be asleep dwelling and recreating my agony in different ways. _Who says sleep cures all sorts of sicknesses. Sometimes it's far better to remain awake._

Pain was still the primary function that's working in my body, but at least that meant I could move well enough to feel it. Pain in this instance was a good thing. It is screaming for my attention and it tells be my body is healing or trying to and that my nerves were not cut off from necessary points of contact. It tells me my arms, neck, and chest are still sore, but I can move them. However, my legs were not so lucky.

I was able to push myself up into a sitting position, and look around me. My first thought was, _Where was Shigure?_ I saw my sword lying up against the side of the boat. I grabbed at it, and laid it across my lap. It made me feel more at ease having my sword with me. I glanced around again, I was on a small patched up boat of some kind that was being towed by another powered vessel. I could feel the waves moving fast beneath me, and the sway and bounce that comes from smaller boats. There was no wind and no difference in the weather. Both sides were high enough to prevent the wind from getting to me. I had been covered by a thin blanket, I suppose due to the hot temperature of the climate I wouldn't be needing anything more than that. I laid back down to try and ignor the dull ache that was in my stomach.

"Oi!" I almost jumped out of my skin as the octopus/fishman's face appeared right above my own. "I see you have finely woken up. You did sleep well."

_I'm not sure I would call that sleeping well, but I suppose I did sleep for a long time. When was I put onto this boat?_ "Thank you for looking out for me. Is this your boat? And would you mind telling me where we are going?" I couldn't see above the boat's sides. "I really appreciate your kindness, but I need to get to the Marine Ship called 'Smoker Marine'. Do you happen to know where it is?"

"I'm going to 'Whiskey Peak'. To see a friend of mine."

"Is it far?"

"Hum... about two days on this current and then we're there."

"Wait, we're on a current? Are we on the Grand Line?" I could have leapt for joy if I had had the energy and strength. What luck! To have gotten stuck in the calm belt only to have been brought to the Grand Line by a fishman. I don't care what people might say of fishmen this one was great.

"Yes!" I celebrated, and grabbed the weird fishman and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, this was just where I needed to go. You managed to get to the Grand line all by yourself!"

He used one of his arms to scratch his head, "You are weird human girl, but I like you." He climbed back to the bow of the ship, which I assume was where he had been before he heard me wake, and brought back a fish.

"Here. You can have it. It is a prize catch." and with that he placed it into my lap.

"Why, thank you." _What on earth am I supposed to do now! Way to go TASHIGI! What was I meant to do with a dead._.. the tail flapped... _an alive fish_? "I'm not sure I can eat that."

"Yes! Yes! You can." He grabbed another held it up to his mouth and seemed to inhale the fish rather than eat it. His mouth opened wider and so did his throat expanding beyond any comfortable measures. "See!" _yes I see that was discusting. Now I'm not sure I could eat anything._ "You have been asleep nearly six days already, so you must be very hungry."

Well he was right about that. I'm STARVING!

"I don't mean I won't eat it, or that it won't taste good. I just meant that I can't swallow the fish whole like you can and my teeth aren't sharp enough to bite through it. I need to cut it first."

With that being spoken he whipped up my sword and the fish present and cut up the fish on a wooden barrel on the side. Scoped up the fishes remains and redepossited them onto my lap. "This is supposed to be eaten raw, so it is the best fish to catch when you are sailing." he said with what I thought looked like a happy face.

"Um,... Thanks," _There is no holding back now, it would be dishonourable to refuse it. Come on you can do this... There is just a mixed blend of meat, guts, and bones here... It's almost a pattee. Yeah, just think of it as a meat mix._ I picked up the largest piece I could find that didn't feel or look like a something unsavoury.

Who would have thought. My first adventure on the Grand Line would involve having a tasty and slimy supper with a fish man.

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**Blast! I had to write this thing twice! My Laptop crashed and I forgot to save. Oh! Woah to me!... :( … The first story I wrote was far more awesome... I FEEL DEPRESSED... So please lighten up my mood with a review. :D**


	14. Wreckage at Whisky Peak

**Time for the next Chapter! 14**

**Hello everyone! I do not own ****The Legendary One Piece**

**.**

**One Piece? 'You say' What one piece are you talking of? You know I've always wondered why the legendary treasure was called The One Piece. Has it been made as one piece, or can it only ever be one piece, or is it just all in one place? The title itself is very confusing, and intriguing.**

**Well!...**

**I own the book that contains info on the One Ring. **

**I own the Movie that focuses on the One Last Cursed Golden Coin of Pirates of the Caribbean .**

**I own the One and only awesome Star Wars the Return of the Jedi Poster.**

**I own the One Old Brick-like Laptop that can use internet anywhere. **

**I own my One and Only biggest collection of 87 Star wars Books, Expanded Universe, every to be seen in one place.**

**But weirdly enough, I do not own any One Piece items so far. Once I get a good enough Job I will be able to buy some Manga and Anime, but for now the Library is my best friend. :D**

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Tashigi's Heart: Wreckage at Whiskey Peak

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My life have been very unusual lately. I have done things that I would never have expected myself to do, seen things that I thought were purely fictional, eaten things that looked revolting, (but turned out to be quite tasty), and met people who were just plain weird. Yes, my life would never be the same. This is a good start to any adventures that I might soon have. Life was preparing me for the unexpected.

It had taken us longer to get to this 'Whiskey Peak' place, than Hachi had originally thought it would. The weather had been quite reasonable for the Grand Line. I had heard that it was dangerous, and unpredictable, but so far it had seemed to me to feel more like a holiday cruise with an unusual acquaintance, be it in only a very small boat. Of course this boat, if it was merely relying on size and wind alone would probably not have gotten very far at all. Especially when you take into consideration the amount of pure days of sun and no wind, but this boat has a secret, something that guided its path and chose the best routes by pure instinct.

Hachi apparently had a pet. Not just any pet, but a sea - Cow like pet! And Hachi had somehow managed to tie him down, and get him to love his owner. I'm not sure how He did it, but it's incredible. To be towed into the Grand Line at top speed by one of the seas most monstrously massive creatures was an honour that I had not expected to befall me.

The weather became darker and more ominous the closer we got to 'Whiskey Peak'. The waves were fiercer and white tipped, crashing over each other as if fighting for space on the sea, and the deep black clouds threatened to bring a heavy downpour on us.

Once we were within a good distance of the shore, Hachi released the sea monster, dove into the water and pulled us the rest of the way in. The island loomed up before me in the darkness, I could just make out the hills in the distance. _Hummm, it doesn't look like any of the hills back home. What is this place? _The hills looked as if they had been frozen while leaping out of the earth in a bubbling frenzy, and were now covered from top to bottom in spikes of some sort._They should have called this Cactus Island._

I was relieved to be able to land on the island. I stepped out of the boat cautiously, testing my well rested legs on firm ground again. I was glad my body had healed up so well, but I would definitely need some new clothes. My diving gear was really uncomfortable, but it wasn't as if I had anything else to wear. What I was most thankful for was the hooks that had been stuck in my body had crumbled away and fallen off. I'm glad the fishman had been the one to find me, if it had been anyone else I might have been put in danger by being offered bad advice.

"Where will your friend be?" I asked Hachi.

"Waiting around the other side. Perhaps? He might be swimming in the Opani Cove. I will go over there and check." He tied down our boat, (float able_, large wooden cup more like_) and turned back to me. "Bye! Have a good Journey back to your Smoky boat!"

"It's not called SMOKY BOAT!... It's called Smoker Marine..." _Oh my Gosh! That was a terrible name for a ship. I can't believe it, but when you say it out loud like this it really does sound bad. Captain Smoker you need to change that Ship's name._

"Hehe! Well it is very good to meet you, and you're a fun human!" He stretched out his arms in a gesture of open friendship. I couldn't help but smile at his kindness, and his honesty. "You're the first human who hasn't tried to kill me!" He giggled after that comment as if he had said something that was quite funny. _Had he never met a human who actually showed him kindness? _It almost brought tears to my eyes.

"Well, Goodbye Hachi. I hope I get to meet you again someday." I reached out my hand for a goodbye hand shake only to be crushed into his hug by all six arms. "Ooff!" _That knocked out the wind from me._

"Oh?!" I asked, once he had let me go. "Where would be the best place to go for making contacts overseas? Or does this island have a post system?"

"It has both," he said and pointed back behind him, "if you ask the Bounty Hunters' Leader he will be able to help you make a call to your smoky Captain, on one of his transponder snails."

_Bounty Hunters!? So this wasn't a Marine base Island then? How uncivilized_! "What do these bounty hunters specialize in? Catching wayward pirates?"

"Yep!" He turned and pointed at the odd shaped hills, "You see them hills?"

"Yes, I see them." Sometimes my long range vision was better than my short.

"The hills are spiky with the graves of all the dead pirates that come though here, and been killed by the Hunters." He grinned at me. "You like that? Hu?"

I couldn't say that I liked it. _Had there really been that many people to have wasted their lives away in becoming pirates? It was simply horrible to think about. What an absolute waste. There are so many!_

"Well, Goodbye and good sailing on the Smoky Ship!" Hachi waved goodbye and dove into the dark waves and started swimming around to the other side.

With Shigure attached firmly around my waist and balance against my hip, I started to make my way to the town. I felt extremely heavy, and my steps were laboured as I walked on my well rested sea legs trying very hard to be remotely useful again. If I was able to find a way off this graveyard and get this done within the next couple of days it wouldn't be soon enough for me.

.

.

A feeling of foreboding came upon me as I wondered through the town. It was too quiet, no sound of a living creature or person anywhere. Maybe they're on the other side of the cactus ridges. I turned down a couple more streets into what looked like a pub. There were glasses about everywhere as if the occupants had been having a smashing good party, but there was no sign of any person asleep or awake. I left that pub and took another route, hoping beyond hope that I would be able to find someone. It was just too creepy walking around a ghost town by yourself.

"Hello!" I called out. "Is anybody in this town!" Damn it! I wonder if they are hiding from me deliberately. Some of the buildings in this area had fallen to pieces, and rubble was littering the pathway. Scorch marks and cuts could be seen everywhere. _What on earth happened here?_

I heard a clang and a bash, and a child walked out from underneath what looked like a collapsed door.

"Oi?" he questioned, "Why are you here?" _Why are you here more likely?_

"I'm came into town to try and contact the marines, but I couldn't find anyone." _What was a child like him doing on a bounty hunter Island like this one?_ "Do you know where I could find one?" The dirty child pulled off his rucksack and yanked up a very beaten down Snail transponder.

"Here." he held out a very withered and shriveled up looking snail. "I got it from the top office. No one is there now though."

"W … Why is that?"

"Because they're all dead." He said it so matter-of-factly. I found it hard to believe. How could he behave so coldly. He dropped the snail into my hands and picked up what looked like a pastry of some kind and started to nibble away at it. "I got knocked out so I wasn't noticed."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." _what a horrible thing to happen. This poor child.._.

"What you wish I had remained conscious and died with the rest of them?"

"NO! That wasn't what I meant." I quickly added, "I meant to be concerned for your entire family. I'm so sorry if I offended you."

He huffed, and turned his attention back to his food.

"Was it a large pirate group? That did this to you?"

His face clouded over and a look of hatred brooded in his eyes. "No, just one guy. I only saw one guy who everyone was fighting with."

_What that was impossible! Wasn't this a bounty hunter infested island? How could one man kill so many? _"I find that hard to believe." I started, _That seems... impossible for one man to do alone,,,, unless he was immortal or one of the living dead. Was this kid crazy? One man come on? _

"I know what I saw!" He glared at me. His eyes were filled with fear and absolute certainty. "I have no idea how he did it, but I've decided to practice as hard as I can every day with a real sword, so that one day I'll be as good as he was." His eyes glazed over as he relived his memories. "I have never seen anyone move so fast in a fight before." He stared up into the sky. "It was amazing."

"Who was this man?"

"He was worth a good bounty and we were trying to capture him, like we had the other crew members, but he was too fast." _Okay then... maybe this kid isn't very innocent.._. "He was really interesting he used three swords instead of one or two." He stuffed his mouth again and stopped talking.

_Three sword style... did that mean Zoro was responsible for this? He was the only man I knew who was mad enough to use three swords at once. _"How many of your people died?"

"There are ... were ... about 100ish ... of us I think?" He turned his food around in his hands, "I took most of them up to the peaks to stop the crows from pecking out their eyes here in town. It isn't good to have rotting flesh so close to where you eat." He seemed so unbothered about this? How could that be? Death was a terrible thing.

_Did Zoro really kill over one hundred men? What sort of demon are you!?_


	15. The Shrivelled Snail

**Time for the next Chapter! 15**

**I DON'T OWN ONE PIECE. **

**You know, I have found that I tend to enjoy watching anime and reading books which have a strong emphasis on character background. Especially mysteries concerning a characters parents. **

**Star Wars: Luke finds out he is the son of the Evil Darth Vader. **

"**LUKE... I AM YOUR FATHER."**

"**NOOOOOOOOOO!"**

**Dragon Ball Z for example, the main hero Goku, is told he is an alien warrior who was supposed to kill everyone he had spent his life trying to protect. SHOCK!**

**One Piece: We have Ace, Luffy, and Usopp who are sons of very famous pirates. Luffy's reaction to finding out who Ace's Dad was:**

**"Oh, Ace! So Roger was your dad? ...**

**... Roger! Roger! Roger! Ace's Dad! The Pirate King!"**

**Well, what can I say? I love stories with those types of mysteries. :D**

**.**

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Tashigi's Heart 15: The Shrivelled Snail

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"**Blub Blub...Blub Blub" **

_This stupid Snail didn't look like it was meant to work at all. Please work! My life is in your ha... Hang on? I can't say hands? Shell? Call? Okay... My life is riding on this call. So please get through!_

_Gosh! I hope Captain Smoker has his Transponder close by. What if he lost it?! What if he doesn't pick up?_

"**Blub Blub...Blub Blub"**

_No! I hope they haven't got into any problems!? What if they were attached by sea monsters!? Or got trapped in a storm!? __**Stop! **__I can't allow myself to think about this. Once I get in touch with the Captain again, I'll tell him everything I've found out about the strawhats and what they have been doing. What Zoro has done._

"**Blub Blub...Blub Blub"**

_First there was Arlong Park, He murdered countless Fishmen on a whim, thankfully they were pirates not civilians._

_Next there was the pirates and marines he sliced and diced up in Loguetown, but again all that had been in self defense. From what I've seen so far he doesn't tend to start these battles._

_And Now he has killed 100 bounty/pirate hunters. I'm not sure who started this one either, but Zoro is not the sort of person who would just roll over and let someone take him into custody, so... he probably said no to his captures and killed them trying to escape._

"**Blub Blub...Blub Blub"**

_He is obviously a killer, and he finds no problem in hurting children and women. I could tell from some more of Asher's stories (Asher is the Bounty hunter kid), he kills when he feels threatened and doesn't hold back. So... Why did he hold back with me? There can only be one explanation … __**that he didn't see me as a threat!**_

"**Blub Blub...Blub Blub"**

_For some reason that makes me really MAD! The nerve of that man! Who did he think I was? Someone he could just laugh at and step over. I don't believe that crappy story of... Oh, I can't remember...? Anyway! He said he couldn't stand my face! What a!... _

_No, I won't go there. It is beneath my dignity to think about the ridiculous insults he made. I was the one with the better upbringing. Upbringing? Who on earth brought him up? They did a terrible job._

"**Blub Blub...Blub Catcha!" **_Haaaa! Someone has picked up a receiver! Please be someone on Smoker Marine_.

"**Hello?!**" _no answer? Here goes.._. "**This is Sergeant Major Tashigi re..**."

"**TASHIGI! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!"** I pulled the receiver away from my throbbing ears. _Well that was definitely the Captain... THANK GOD! _

"**CAPTAIN! I'm so glad your alive! It's so good to hear your voice again! How are you? Have you been well? You will never believe what has happened to me! I have been..."**

"**TASHIGI, where are you?"**_fine, so he didn't want to talk, that's understandable._

"**I'm on an Island near the red cliffs of entrance into the Grand Line it's called 'Whiskey Peak' I think."**

"**Fine," **'Oi you! Get that man's eternal log pose out again, it was the one that goes to that crappy burial ground for pirates right?' "**Okay, Tashigi, we're not far away from your location. We be able to make it there in 3 days. Are you sure you're on Whiskey Peak? If your not and I end up spending my valuable time looking for your sorry ass, then I'm going to kill you."**

"**Haha! No, of course I'm sure. Unless the people who told me lied." **

"**Tashigi, you had better be there." **He always sounded like he was grumbling.

"**Don't worry Captain. I will be." **what had him so worked up?

"**And don't try anything stupid with the scum in that place." **he added.

"**That won't be a problem," **What? Silence? So he was actually going to listen to me**. "I'm not the first visitor they had here." **

"**The Strawhats passed through here and left one survivor." **

**.**

**.**

**Well, well, my dear readers that was a short one. My next chapter will be longer and about... … …. de...os...straw... Mr Zero...You can figure out the rest now. **

**SO, What was one of your most memorable Zoro/Tashigi moments and why do you like them? I would love your feedback. **


	16. The Mysterious Swordsman

**Chapter 16: **

**I do not own One Piece! :D**

**Yes, I am happy about it, it's too much responsibility for me. So enjoy my weaker fanfiction. It is nothing near as creative and awesome as The Creator's words and works, but I hope it provides you with some moderate entertainment.**

.

Tashigi's Heart: The Mysterious Swordsman

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It has been almost two weeks since Whiskey Peak, and I was very thankful to leave it behind. The young Bounty hunter in training was brought on board for questioning. I think I was questioned just as much as he was, except he had time to think about what he needed to say, and he could just say it. I had to give a brief speech of what happened to me, and then go and write a full report, hand it to the captain, and then page it to HQ. It was a very tiring process.

The crew didn't seem to thrilled to have me back on board, and yes, they were very respectable towards me, but you can sometimes feel that you are trying fit into a space and everyone else sees you as the third wheel on a perfect bike. Well that should soon change.

I spent a lot of my time with the communications officer trying to decipher messages and hacking codes sent by HQ. I really liked doing that Job, and I think he appreciated the company. But I'm very aware that I shouldn't spend one too many visits with certain people, or else gossip spread unnecessarily like wild fire. So I tend to go out of my way to check up on lots of different groups and members.

The Eels we caught two weeks ago had hatched out of their rubbery container, and were now being kept in a tank in the Captain's cabin. He seemed to like watching them when he was having his evening smoke, and sticking his Kairoseki poll into the tank letting them latch onto it for a few seconds and then suddenly pulling it out to see if he could catch one. However they seemed smart enough not to be pulled out of the water. I think they look beautiful! Probably the most colourful and stunning eel that has ever been seen. They weren't fiery red like the adult had been, but a magenta colour with speckles of vivid green, and I'm quite sure that their colour changes due to stress and emotions they are going through. One of the younger chefs tried to find a good way to cook a few after they had just caught them, but became very sick afterwards. _Idiots! Didn't they know it was poisonous until it was about three years old, some people never do their research.  
_

However, today is yet another very sunny Day on the 'Smoker Marine'. I have found the weather climates here in the Grand Line, although unpredictable, seem to get worse when one nears a new Island. And so now that we have entered into a peaceful patch the Captain has order a routine check on board. Everyone has been running about all day changing this and that, scrubbing the deck, fishing, cleaning the eel tank, taking down the sails and making repairs, fixing the lines, washing uniforms, and drying them outside instead of hanging them up next to the heaters in the cabins. Everyone was productively busy, well almost everyone.

Smoker is now taking this opportunity for some sun bathing. I saw him head outside with his paper. The thought never occurs to him that there might be people who need his help or could do with some help. I mean, come on! does he need to be so utterly lazy. He thinks he doesn't need to do any work. I ask you! He is a very good leader, and excellent at delegating tasks to others, but why can't he lead by example.

Anyway, I have been slaving away all morning, and I think I deserve a break from the hot blazing sun. So I have come back inside to polish up a new find. I couldn't believe it when we confiscated it from the queer dressed up old man, who refused to cooperate with us. This was a Hitatsura, a Katana that has a burned pattern on it that is created by forging the cutting and blunt edges together in an unusual way.

"What a splendid Hitatsura," I pulled my glasses down to get a better look. "one of the Ryouwaza Mono...Kashiu." _This work was meant to be admired. I doubt that even a person who has no clue what Katanas are would still be able to appreciate the beauty and elegant qualities of this blade._

"I expected nothing less from the Grand Line." I said aloud to myself, "But to meet with such a beautiful Meitou so soon." _It's a dream come true._

"TASHIGI! OI!" Smoker yelled, "ARE YOU DEAF, YOU KATANA FREAK!?"_ Wait, was that Smoker? How long had he been calling me?_

"Yes, sir!" I grabbed Shigure and ran full pelt out of my cabin and down the stairs to the main deck. "I'm coming Captain!" As luck would have it I tripped up, I mean down, on the eighth step and face-planted the deck. It was such a shock for me I rolled to try to get my bearings and bring back feeling into my face. But that didn't last long as Shigure landed right smack alongside my face. If I had done one more turn it would have cut my nose off.

"Ahhhhh!" I pulled myself away from the blade. _That was WAY to close! How mean of you Shigure, you almost killed me! ANOTHER STUPID CLUMSY MOMENT!_

"Stop clowning around and get over here. I need you to listen to this!" The Captain yelled. S_o he actually needed something, or did he just want another cup of coffee. Wait a minute what was that?_

"Oh! Neat! That's a Black Wiretap Den Den Mushi!" I had seen it in the communications room, but never being used before._ Wow! This was exciting! This was used for the sole purpose of hacking into other Peoples communication calls. just what had we picked up?_

"Now listen close," _woah, the Captain actually sounded serious._ "We just picked up this conversation minutes ago."

"With your permission, Sergeant Major, I'll replay it." Saunder asked.

"Yes, please proceed." I answered.

"**...Mr. 0**...T_hat was a weird name to give yourself._

**...Princess Vivi and those Straw Hat Pira...**

"The Straw Hat Pirates!?" _Okay, what on earth is going on!_

"**...Yeah, mission accomplished...**

…**.stablish communication... receiving orders unt... That is all...**

"There was too much interference to decipher any more." Saunder lifted up the snail and shut it off.

"Even with transmission interference, we managed to catch 4 key words from the conversation between these two" Smoker said as he was leaning and smoking against the banister.

"Princess Vivi."

"Straw Hats"

"Orders"

and

"Mr. 0".

_He's right there is actually quite a lot to go on_. "Mr. 0?" I asked, "Could that be some form of codename? If it is, he may be connected with the suspicious swordsman we captured in 'Runes' the other day. That man called himself 'Mr. 11'." I pointed down to the odd looking man that we had tied up to the main mast.

"Good point." Smoker answered, "Probably a criminal organization where the members have numbers as code names and its members execute 'orders'." He looked over his shoulder at our prisoner who had recently been tied to the mast to enjoy the sun while we tidied up beneath deck. "Something like that?" _It was hardly a question it was a statement. Smoker you've hit the nail on the head. _

The old gentleman had his back turned to us, but was obviously listening intently to are conversation. "Mr. 0? Criminal Organization? I don't know Them! Don't talk to me about such nonsense.!"_Was he really trying to back out of this? When he hadn't even given us his real name, but a number. How dumb was this organization?  
_

"If that's true, then what were those detailed orders you had in your pocket?" The Captain returned.

I saw him stiffen up, and he managed to turn his head around to answer us. "Th-Those were... Ummmm... not mine!"

"That's funny," the Captain starting chewing on his cigars again, "because we didn't find anything in your damn pocket."

The swordsman glared and turned back around. _Well that sorts that out. He must be from the same organization._

The Captain was starting to look keen and interested in something again, "Princess Vivi, If I recall, that's the name of the Princess of Alabasta. Her current whereabouts are unknown." He puffed out another breath of smoke.

_Princess Vivi might have been kidnapped by the Strawhats? No, they weren't here in the Grand Line at the time of her disappearance. _

"But isn't the Alabasta Kingdom in the midst of a coup d'etat?" I asked, "Could it be that this secret criminal organization and the Straw Hat Pirates are somehow involved in the uprising?" _If so this is going to get messy pretty fast, very soon._

"I don't know. But for now, this is the only clue we have about the Straw Hat's location."

"Then, from here..." I asked. This was getting better by the minute.

"Yes, YOU! Get on the horn with Headquarters, and get us an Eternal Pose!"

"SIR!" Sauders ran off to do Smoker's bidding.

"Let's take a little trip." The Captain said as he leaned back into his chair, "To the Kingdom of Alabasta." and now with that said and done the Captain predictably smoked himself to sleep. I checked on him a number of times, but he's okay and still alive.

.

**.**

**Well the next chapter welcomes us into Alabasta. I hope you're ready for it!**


	17. Hot night

**Chapter 17: I don't own the characters for One Piece, hang on? Do I need to write that for every chapter or just the beginning of the story because I've been doing for every one?**

**I would like to thank all the Reviewers so far. For what they have said. **

**_ThatzOtherGuy _**

_**itstashyall**_

**_FreezingReign _**

**_Sturm and drang _**

**sweetsnakes**

**blueminds**

**Guest**

**I have found receiving all these reviews very exciting and incredible. I still find it weird that people are reading my fanfiction from the other side of the world. It's so cool! It's really fun hearing from people who say they like the way a character has been portrayed. It just makes me want to keep writing. **

**I was really happy when two readers from France said they don't read English Fan Fiction much, but read mine. YEAH! Thank you, and I'm glad you liked it.**

"**Bonjour à tous**. I hope you enjoy the following chapters." my French is not so good... haven't practiced it in eight years...

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Tashigi's Heart: Hot Night

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_In battle a warrior won't waste his time dwelling on how he looks or what other people think of him. He is too preoccupied with the task at hand and will not let himself get distracted. His mind is totally focused and if there are any distractions he will ignore them or silence them. He will not let worry over take him, for he knows if he does he might be endangering his own life and others in the process, for he would not be concentrating on the mission, and that will become his downfall. _

_I know this, and in battle I can shut out some things, but when I'm resting and not actively doing something my mind drifts and becomes a pool of pointless thoughts. I have thought dozens of times about getting up and getting a drink, but I'm just too tired. My body does need rest. It is 3:32 in the morning, and I don't want to be awake at this hour. _

_We are getting closer to Alabasta and it's not just because the of the efficiency of the Log Post, you can smell it in the air, the heat is building up at an alarming rate. I don't know how I will cope in the kingdom of sand. I can barely sleep in all this heat, and we are still on a ship floating on the water miles and miles away from our destination. This is cold weather compared to Alabasta._

"Mmm." I turned over again. _PILLOW IS UNCOMFORTABLE!_

"Hummm!" Pillow is thrown to the floor. My back was hot and damp my clothes sticking to it's surface like leaches._ I should have brought up a bucket of water before I came up here last night._ I pulled off my red vest, and briefly rubbed myself down with it then threw the vest to my washing pile on the other side of the room. _Maybe now I can get some rest_, and I lie on my back. _BED IS TOO STIFF AND HARD!_

This wasn't going to work, my legs were starting to twitch ready for a run, my mind was wide awake, and after 5 hours of fake resting I still hadn't got any real sleep. I threw back the sheet that I had been using as a covering, but now was barely on the bed, and stood up. My legs almost gave way beneath me, yes, they were twitchy that didn't mean they were feeling useful. _STUPID BODY! I don't want to be up! Where are my glasses? They're on the desk. Let's go! I can't just lie around I've got to do something._

I turned my room's light on and winced at the sudden glare. One brief look in the mirror and seeing the state of my short hair, sticking up on end, was all it took to bring my great level of self-esteem down to a dismal low. _How disgusting! Sorry Mum, but if you saw me now you would want to disown me, or you wouldn't even recognize me in the first place. How pitiful. _I grabbed a lighter shirt and draped it over my shoulders and did up a few necessary buttons.

_._

_**Note one to self: I need to wash my hair. **_

_**Note two: I need to grow this blob out and then I could just plait it, and it won't look like ... No comment.**_

_**Note three: I hate my bed. It might be more comfortable to sleep at the desk.**_

_**Note four: I wish I could just sleep anywhere! Is there anyone with those skills?**_

_**Note five: I'm hungry, I need food,**_

**.**

_Well, it has been decided!_ T_ime_ _to go_. I opened my cabin door, stumbled onto the landing, and made my way down the steps to the deck. It was warm outside as well, but at least there was a breeze. _Now, what shall I do first? Have some food or exercise?_

The Smoker Marine was barely moving, both the sea currents and wind seemed to be inefficient in this area._ Yes, we had a little bit of wind, but it was hardly doing anything. I mean I could swim faster than this._

_That's a good idea! Having a swim should do it. It would freshen me up, cool me down, and get me in the mood for eating. Yep! Time for a swim!_

It was a beautiful night and the full moon was up, it's glow reflected on the sea and somehow made me feel cooler just by looking at it. I unbuttoned my fresh shirt and dropped it on the deck. I already had a bra on anyway so it wasn't as if I was being indecent. I grabbed one of the spare rope wheels and tied one end to the port side hull where the majority of the wind was coming from and fastened the other end around my waist. Okay, I tugged on both ends to test its stability. After that I carefully took off my glasses and placed them on my shirt. That seems all right to me. I stood up on the side of the port barrier and looked over the edge. It seemed a long way down from up here now. No turning back now, I've tried diving off this sort of height before, but just not during the night or on a moving object. _Well, that is what you are using the rope for, to prevent you from getting to far away from the moving ship. This was not the time to be having second thoughts.  
_

Whoever was on guard duty was terrible. I hadn't heard a single noise or movement and someone was supposed come to question what I was doing. That was procedure it should have been done, I would have to double check who was on that night. For now though, I will let it slip, I shifted the rope that was around my waist slightly, tightened it and dove in.

The water was wonderfully cold and salty, just what I needed. It rippled over and around my body as I swam in the same direction as the ship. It was harder than I thought it would be to keep up a good pace. The ship had been going faster than I had originally thought, but this was definitely worth it. I swam for what felt like hours, my arms were a little sore, and I think I could probably eat a full roast all to myself. When I finally climbed back up the side of the ship, out of the water the sky was filled with a beautiful golden colour as the morning's sunlight began to hit the sea, making it look heavenly as it shone and shimmered like a giant pool of gold.

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I sat alone on the deck drinking some coffee and pecking at some of the leftovers from the night before, which I had found in the kitchen. I don't like waste, and there was nothing wrong with eating leftovers anyway.

Something was bugging me about that transmission. _That Mr. Zero guy, what was he after? The Strawhats hadn't been on the Grand Line for long I find it hard to believe that they could create new enemies so quickly, and then there was the Princess of Alabasta._

"How do they all fit together? Was the Princess Kidnapped by the Strawhats?" I mumbled aloud. "Or does this Code number group, hunting the Princess get distracted by them." A picture of Zoro waving his swords in the air and grinning while a beautiful princess ran around in the background came to mind. I knocked my head back against the mast. "I'm too tired for thinking these things through rationally." I took another bite of my... Huh?

"You know? Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness." Captain Smoker materialized in front of me.

"Where did my sandwich go?" I stood up looked around, dusted my clothes off. Where was it?

"Oh, you mean this Thing." Captain Smoker shoved the rest into his mouth and swallowed it.

"Captain! What are you doing that was MINE!" _Why did he make me mad so quickly.  
_

"Well, you were offering it out in your hand so I decided to take it." He answered with his mouth full.

"I was just thinking." I looked down at my shirt. _Thank goodness I had remembered to do up all the buttons that might have been embarrassing_. I pouted, "I was going to eat it."

"You've been sitting there for a long time. I thought you might have been asleep."

"Well I wasn't." _After the swim my hair was a lot straighter and calmer. At least he didn't catch me looking like a tramp. Not that I care._

"I was drinking the coffee you made for me earlier as well. Good job with that it tasted great. You're a good example of a hard working Sergeant major. A lot of these idiots should learn some things from you." Now he was finished eating, he pulled out his cigars and lit them up.

I couldn't help a smile spread across my face. That was the nicest thing the Captain had ever said to me. He was mean and crude most of the time, but there are times when he is considerate and it surprises me.

"ALABASTA! A HOI!" The guy in the crows nest yelled, "I SEE ALABASTA DEAD AHEAD!"

_Right, time to prepare for a trip off ship._ I ran my fingers through my hair, and then stretched my arms up. I was still tired, but at least I felt better. _Hang on I feel like I'm forgetting something..._

"Wait! Captain you drank my COFFEE TOO!"

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.

**The more I write about Captain Smoker, the more I think he has to be some sort of distant relative or maybe a brother of Zoro. He is about 10 to 14 years older than him, right?**

**They are just so similar in characteristics. Except Smoker has a Smoking problem, and Zoro and a Drinking and Sleeping problem. They both have different shades of green hair. **

**?**

**Who knows?**

**?**

**Tell me what you think! :D**


	18. A Refreshing Cold Towel

**Chapter 18: I don't own One Piece.**

**Today is a cold rainy day, and I can't really empathize with Tashigi that much at the moment. I would love to travel around and be boiling hot in a desert kingdom. I probably wouldn't wear as many clothes. Why would you wear a jacket like the one she's wearing In that place?! Just watching the anime makes me feel exhausted from imaginary heat.**

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Tashigi's Heart 18: A Refreshing Cold Towel

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Today has just been unbearable. The people here are thugs and swindlers. The men are out to deceive and manipulate, and the women... well what can I say... the majority dress like … like … like the are trying to get a man's attention. I feel embarrassed for them. Half of them cover up so much you can't tell the difference between them and the men. The other half ... Do they really disvalue themselves so much that they would wear hardly anything just to get a stranger's money and attention. It makes me sick. They all make me sick.

One kid tried to pull a theft right in front of me. He tried to steal from one of the shop stalls, but He failed and then attempted to escape. He crashed into me, crying and looking very disappointed in himself. I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him, he was a kid after all, there are some things you can let slide as long as that person is sorry for what he has done. I was about to let him go, when the Captain grabbed him from the scruffy front of his clothes, and lifted him high above his head.

"Let go of what you stole! Now! Or your face will become my new boot polish!"

In absolute terror, the boy let go of, "MY WALLET!" I yelled.

I made sure that before I arrived everything that was of any value on me was hidden, but that kid had still been able to find my wallet from just bumping into me once. After that incident I decided to keep a wary look out for any pickpocket who came near me.

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We have now been here for a week and still no sign of the Strawhats. They had been ahead of us, we were sure. So why hadn't they arrived yet. I had suggested to smoker that they could have already arrived and traveled inland, but he was sure that they hadn't, and that we were to wait for them. So we waited, and found that after a week we were still finding trouble makers everywhere. Did this town bread liars and thieves.

I thought I might enjoy looking into the creations of the tradesmen in this town, but the majority of the artifacts here were fakes and cheap budget copies that they were trying to sell for ridiculous prices. I was approached by one salesman who saw Shigure on my hip and tried to sell me one of his swords as an upgrade. He had no clue what he was talking about, and seemed to assume that I would like a smaller more girly sword.

"You've got to be kidding me! Selling a sword like this for 2,000 berries is nothing short of stealing. Come on do you even have a permit to sell these?" It was strange really I had been here a week, but I was still treated like an idiot. These salesmen t_hey always seemed to try pitching to me, because I look like a foreigner, and foreigners I suppose they think to be gullible. How unfortunate for him. This guy had got a lot more than he had bargained for in trying to deceive me. __**Ha ha!  
**_

"You had better not pull another stunt like this again, do you understand me?" T_hat serves him right. Shake in fear, for what you were trying to do is illegal. _I hide a small triumphant smile as I turned away from the salesman. What a relief that not all people were like that.

My left hand twitched and rested on my sword's hilt. _I can't shake off this feeling like someone's watching me. _I glanced round again._ Nothing,** Grrr**! Stop being so paranoid Tashigi! It's probably just a passer-by who thinks you look weird. Well compared to everyone else and the way people dress here I obviously look Foreign, but I'm not going to be caught off guard or persuaded into wearing any of these degradable outfits just to fit in with the crowd.  
_

"Hay! Tashigi?" _I know that voice well. I quite sure every time he opens his mouth the whole street can here him. _

"Captain Smoker." I answered. This looked amazingly familiar, Captain Smoker looked very impressive with three men draped over his shoulders like sacks of grain.

"Here," He pulled off the scruffy, dirty, weed-like bodies and dumped them on the ground in front of me as if delivering the mail. "Idiot small time pirates!" He grumbled, "They made the mistake of thinking they could act like hot shots on my watch. So I was forced to teach them a lesson."

"Your dedication is inspiring! Not a single pirate rogue will ever escape with you around." _Great... what was I going to do with three pirates in the middle of a town we weren't even supposed to be in_.

"If you've done chattering, have the Alabasta royal army take care of this scum." _Okay, so that's how we will do it._

"Yes, Sir!" I answered.

"So far I haven't heard anything about Strawhat Luffy and the rest of them having landed on this island, but don't let your guard down. They will show up, I'm sure of it."

_I don't know if the Captain was supposed to be talking to me or just confirming it with himself. 'Well, I'll take your word for it.' Smokers intuition has yet to be proven wrong. Now I've got my work cut out for me. My Captain is one of the most reliable men out there. He takes his job as seriously as I do mine, and when he's working he doesn't let anyone stop him or get in his way. A lot more Marines need to be like that, but I hope that Smoker doesn't find to many more criminals, or the Royal Army might have something to say about interfering in internal affairs._

We weren't supposed to be here, but that doesn't mean we should hold back on delivering justice to those who are abusing the system.

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This heat was only just bearable. I think because it was a hot and dry atmosphere it wasn't as bad as the humid temperature that we had been having previously on the ship. Everything was hot and dry and dusty in this desert kingdom, and my face was beginning to feel like that too.

I wiped off the dirt, sweat, and sand from my face with a fresh cold towel. This was definitely worth it. After I had finished running this way and that for the Captain, obeying his superior whims, I had decided to spend some of my money on a few cold drinks, and some freshly made food on sticks. _Yum!_ And After I had finished, I got given a towel that I think they had been keeping in a freezer of some sort. _Wow! It was so NICE! Just what I needed to wipe away the bothersome day._

I have never really appreciated the different weather conditions that I was used to in the East Blue, but after coming all the way out here I now realized just how wonderful it was to live in a place which didn't make you sweat every 10 minutes of walking, and a place where the wind didn't blow sand and dust into your face whenever you turned down a different street. My face and hands felt horribly dirty and dry, having had all the natural oils and moisture in my skin sucked up by the beating sun. This towel was..

"TASHIGI!" I could hear the Captain yelling about something again. He really needed to take a break and not get so upset about everything. I had been very grateful when we had first arrived, when he had prevented my wallet from being stolen, but he has been like this all week. It was time for him to calm down. The Strawhats would turn up eventually, and make a massive impact on the town, leave it partially ruined, and that would be the time for the Captain to yell in the streets.

"Yes, Sir." It probably was nothing. "Would you like a cold towel it's quite refreshing this desert kingdom really is hot."

"Catch that guy! It's Strawhat!" **_What! STRAWHAT?!_**

"Yes, Sir!" my eyes tracked the being running away from my Captain. _Red shirt, a Straw hat, the sound of flip flops running towards me. That was definitely him. Seven steps away, he won't have time to turn or slow down._ I raise Shigure...** "I've got him!"** Just as second before my blade could pass through him he sprung up off the ground and into the air landing on a nearby roof as if it was the most natural thing in the world. _Wow! How did he manage that?_

"Tashigi! Gather the marines at once! Search every inch of this place for the rest of his crew." The captain yelled as he became smoke and then materialized on the top of the building. He might just gain on the Strawhat kid.

"Right!" I confirmed. "Come on!" I called out to some of the marines around me. We will make them regret ever being Pirates.

_The Strawhat's crew is here, that is all four of them. We need to find out if there are any new recruits. Wait, that must mean Roronoa Zoro was in the city somewhere. We will find you all and flush you out! Just you wait. I'm coming._

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**.**

**Yay! They have finally met up with the Strawhats again. i don't know about you, but some of my favourite episodes of One Piece is when Smoker and Tashigi are trying to capture the Strawhats. They are just so funny and fast paced.**


	19. Ace and the Masked Baroque Works

**Chapter 19: DON'T OWN ONE PIECE.**

**I can't believe the amount of views this story 'Tashigi's Heart' has had since I uploaded the 17****th**** chapter. I didn't really think one way or the other about the importance of a chapter name. However, Now I know better... I uploaded Chapter 17 in the late afternoon on Sunday, and today I found that onSunday I had 228 views and visits. WOW! The Chapter was just called Hot Night, and every person who viewed it visited it. That has never happened before. It's so cool!**

**YES! **

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Tashigi's Heart: Ace and the Masked Baroque Works.

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I didn't find Zoro in the end, but I heard Captain Smoker and a few members of the other squads saw the entire crew. They said they had about seven members, including the Captain Monkey D. Luffy. There was a lot of talk about a mystery man helping with the Strawhats escape. And after I had asked around a few others I found out the young man's name was Portgas D. Ace, a member of the legendary White Beard Pirates and its' second division commander.

"Captain Smoker!" I called out. Captain Smoker was sitting on a wall doing what he does best that was smoking and analysing the situation. "We combed the entire city of Nanahana," I said between puffs of breath, I had been on my feet for an hour running this way and that. "but we were unable to locate Straw Hat Luffy or his crew."

"Do you want to know who I saw with them?" _So he wasn't interested in the report. What on earth is he talking about?_ I waited for him to continue. "Vivi," he stated, "and I was certain it was her too."

"Vivi?" _what? No way!_ "Princess Vivi Nefertari, but what would she be doing with the Straw Hat Pirates?"_I had imagined this to be a possibility. But I didn't actually think it would turn out to be real._ "Is she a hostage?" _Yes, that was probably it_. "Could they have kidnapped the Princess hoping to achieve some ulterior motive?"

"I don't that," _What did he mean?_ "Vivi wasn't acting like a victim she was moving freely of her own accord, as if she was a part of the crew."

"The princess... a part of their crew?" _**Acting like a pirate?**_

"As I suspected, something is happening in this country. I just wish I knew what it was." he started to look worried. I had never seen him like this.

"Captain Smoker!" The Lieutenant of squad five ran up to us and stood by my side. "I sorry sir, but The Suspect, Mr 11, who was restrained on our ship was shot by an unknown assailant. They managed to get aboard while we were all out searching for the Strawhats, and since we haven't located them yet..."

"It's nothing to panic over, just call off the search." The Captain pushed himself off the ruin of a wall and stood up. "I have a hunch as to where Straw Hat is headed. He's after Crocodile. I'm sure of it."

_Okay that confirms it. The Straw hat kid is mad. Talented, but Mad!_

"Why Crocodile!? He's one of the pirates approved by the Government. He's one of the Shichibukai (seven warlords of the sea), isn't he?"

"You know I despise the Shichibukai." He paused briefly "And Crocodile is the absolute worst."

I nodded in agreement, but I really didn't have a clue about the seven warlords of the sea. It just was not something I had thought to read or look up on. _Crocodile is the worst? _"But politically speaking, isn't he an ally of the Government and the Marines."

Smoker carried on, "Crocodile might have the higher ups fooled, but not me. They're delusional if they think they can have him under their control. He was once an extremely clever pirate. His isn't the type of soul that takes orders from any government! Never Has Been!" He shifted a bit and looked me straight in the eye. "There is one thing you need to always remember Tashigi and that is: No matter where a pirate goes he is always a pirate!, and that will never change."

Smoker turned back to look out into the sea. "Straw Hat will appear wherever Crocodile is. So, if we go to where they're headed, things will be revealed when that time comes. There will be no escape for him not this time!"

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A few more hours past as we arranged with the Alabasters a mode of Transportation that would take us to Rainbase, the favourite location of the hero of the desert, Crocodile.

"Captain?" I asked as we were walking down the shore line heading for the apparent new wreckage of a few unknown ships. "This might sound a little out of the blue. But why did such a famous Pirate want to help out the Strawhats?"

"Hum? Which occasion?" He mumbled

"I mean Portgas D. Ace wouldn't have normally stepped out just to defend another Pirate, would he?" _Maybe there are some pirates who are more loyal and reliable than I had ever realized. This was the second time Monkey D. Luffy had been saved by his friends at the last moment._

The Captain stopped walking, glanced down the street as if watching to see if anyone was there, and turned towards me. "I'm not sure what to make of it." He pulled out his old cigars from his mouth and snuffed them on a nearby door frame. "From my experience Pirates do not help others who sail under a different flag, but this circumstance was unusual."

"How so?"

"I asked him 'why' he was helping the Straw Hat, and it turns out that he's his brother." Smoker pulled out another two cigars and lit them up immediately.

"His Brother?" _So we weren't dealing with one pirate, but a family of pirates. Wait, why did Dragon defend the Straw Hat in LogueTown? What he was related to him too like Ace was? _

"Oh, this is terrible." _Except for the fact he was saved by his brother. I wish I had a brother._ "Captain?" I asked, "Are you going to report this to HQ?'

The Captain looked down at me. "Tashigi you need to keep in mind these are Pirates, and this story could just be another lie designed to create fear where there is no need for it." We carried on walking to the destruction site.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. We had sent out a few squads ahead of us to check out the area and they had. But that still didn't prepare me for the site of wreckage and ship parts, for one mile, covering the coastline. You could barely see the rocky shore for all the splinters of wooden beams and ripped sails. And what was so strange is that some of the pieces that were still relatively whole were still smoking.

"Captain!" One officer called out to the him, "We've ascertained that these ships were destroyed in a massive explosion."

"I can see that myself. Anything more useful than that?"

"Yes sir." The young gulped, "In multiple locations up and down the beach people have found this." He held up a small flag with a white scull on it. It also had two swords that crossed behind the scull and purple wings parallel to each other behind the swords. "I've never seen this symbol before. Captain, do you think this was another pirate group?"

"If it is a Jolly Roger then it's one I've never seen before." I added. This was strange, I mean it was common for pirate groups to have very individual Jolly Rogers, but for one to be found on so many ships and to never be discovered or recognize by any of the Marines before would mean it had to be an organization that had been concealing it's identity. This was not boding well for us.

"Oi! I found a survivor!" Many that had been looking and sorting through items, objects, and moving large pieces of rubble and rubbish stopped what they were doing to gather round the young man who had called out.

"Move it slackers! Get back to work!" Smoker ordered. "I'll talk to them!"

"It's a bashed up woman." called out one.

"How the hell did she survive?" laughed another.

"Excuse me," I wove my way in and out through the crowd of onlookers to get closer. One look was all it took to make me wince in sympathetic pain. They were correct about her looking bashed up. Her left arm had been punctured by splinters of flying debris, her bare waist had been scorched by naked flames, and her forehead was still bleeding small riverbeds down her face into her torn shirt that was barely saving her modesty. "All right everyone! I would like you to move back a bit. Ensign Hanaki?"

"Yes, Sergeant?"

"Please get the medical supplies ready." I held her head steady as she started to flop and bend over. She had been holding onto a large piece of drift wood, but since she had been floated ashore, had started to looked like she was just on the verge of death. Her skin, the places which weren't covered in bruises, blood, or burns, was a deathly white.

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We managed to get her to a safer environment and the medical advisor on our ship had given her his undivided attention. Once she had regained consciousness the Captain told her that the rest of her shipmates were dead and that she was the only survivor. He then proceeded to interrogate her to get information about their attacker and their own purpose. She was surprisingly more than willing to give away the information that seemed to me very valuable.

"What happened to the ships and who did this!" Smoker demanded.

"We,.. were chasing the Straw... hat pirates... when Ace of ..." she seemed to be struggling to breath.

"Go on." the Captain insisted.

"He set himself on fire... and before I knew it... the ships were falling apart... th... were exploding, just flying everywhere... I was blasted off with the mast..." her stomach begin to twitch and she began to make retching noises, which must have really hurt.

"Do you want a glass of water?" I offered. She gave me a brief nod and I got her one. It was one thing to kill a man in the heat of battle it was another to sit aside and just watch as someone slowly dies. I wouldn't allow her to die that way.

"Who are you and who do you work for?" Captain Smoker asked as he held up the one of the items we had found on the beach, it was the Skull, Swords, and Wings flag.

"I'm .. s... one of the... minions... of Baro..." She trailed off for a bit and raised her hand to her head. I wonder if she had got a concussion.

"Listen kid, I've got no time to spare! Who do you work for!?"

"Captain would you mind smoking near the window? I have a feeling that the smoke might be aiding in her difficulty of breathing." I asked. He then pouted and reluctantly moved away to blow the ashes in his breath outside.

I turned back to the very damaged young lady, and placed a small damp cloth over her forehead. "We need to know who your working for. It's our job. Your group got annihilated by this person called Portgas D. Ace, who was aiding the other pirates in their escape. Why were you trying to stop them from leaving?"

She smiled and her eyes focused on the window. "If you … get rid of … a wanted pirate … you show promise, ... and get promoted … there are hundreds … of us."

"Promise for what?" I asked.

"The better … the kills … the better … the name … or number." _Number? Was she a part of the same organization that the now dead swordsman was a part of._

"You are a member of a crime organization," I challenged her to disagree, "who uses numbers and code names?"

"Ha-um!" It might have been a laugh if it hadn't hurt her to much to laugh. "Yes," she confirmed.

"What is the name? If you tell me I'll do my best to make sure you survive."

"To late … for that crap." She rolled her eyes and then smiled, "I'm a member … of Baroque Works." She sucked in a sharp breath, and gripped a hold of my hand. For a person in a weak condition she most certainly had a strong grip.

"Thank you, just rest now." I looked at her shoulder. Her blood was already beginning to seep through the bandages. "I'll try to get you some fresh bandages." She wouldn't let go of my hand.

"Don't leave … just yet … I … My name is …"

"Captain!" I called out, but surprisingly no one answered.

"Thank you …" she said. "I'm glad … I'm not … alone..."

Her hand was as cold as ice and within the next few minutes even after the medical doctors came in to help her, she died.

I didn't know her. She didn't even get to tell me her name, but it still felt wrong and saddened me when I saw people die. _How could anyone get used to it? That was one flame of life that could never be reborn._

I walked outside, and for the first time I welcomed the heat, it burned away the coldness of death.

"Well?" Captain Smoker came up behind me. "Do you have anything to report Sergeant?"

"Yes," I slowly blinked away the images of death and refocused on our mission. "This Criminal Organization is called the Baroque Works, and they have more than a hundred followers," Look my Captain in the eyes. "who are given the promise of promotion if one of the higher ups dies."

"Hm..." _I could almost imagine I could hear the cogs in the Captain's head whirling as he was thinking._ "Well that sorts out the mystery of who murdered Mr. 11." he took in another poisonous deep breath. "Right." He turned his back on me and headed towards where there were a few gathered waiting for orders to head into town. "Listen up! Everyone! We are heading to RainBase! You! Go and inform the other units!"

There were some cries for joy and excitement and a few groans of annoyance and complaints about the heat. I just sat back near the docks looking out to sea, while everyone seemed busy moving this way and that. I'll get ready soon, but I just love to watch the sunset. The sky was turning pink and orange._ I wonder if the Captain will insist that we travel there during the night, or wait for the next day._

I have often wondered what location suited me best. _I don't really feel at home anywhere neither on land nor at sea. I'm searching for something, but I know not what. Is it justice alone? Or is it something else._ That young woman would have probably been found guilty of some sort of miner or major crime, but that fact didn't prevent me from feeling and sharing her loneliness.

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**A little bit more serious than some of the most recent ones, but it was necessary.**

**For ****anyone ****who would like to ****comment or cha****t about the story, give me a review. :D and I'll probably give you an i****nside scoop**** on the up coming chapters because I'm a such a nice person.**

**I do love to hear about peoples' preferences****,**** so if you want to see or read about a ****certain scene or Character**** coming up send me a message about what you like most about it. I'm a bit of a geek so I'll probably re-watch both the English dubbed version, Japanese subbed version, and then read the Manga before I write my own story. I don't like getting my facts wrong, so if You notice anything amiss let me know.**

**:D**


	20. Rainbase Chase

**Chapter 20: I don't own One Piece**

**I did consider calling this chapter a number of different names. Like 'Pirate's spit' , 'Mouth Wash at the Sand Cafe' , 'The one thing Zoro can't handle' or 'The Pirates' Sprint', but I just couldn't make up my mind. So I went with something entirely different that described the Chapter best.**

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Tashigi's Heart: Rainbase Chase.

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After arranging desert transport we left for Rainbase due to the Captain orders. Well, I as the Sergeant Major lead the Group inland, but the Captain decided that he didn't like the idea of riding on one the creepy-looking camels so he materialized his bike out of the storage area on the ship.

I could have got anger that the Captain had had the time to drag in and box the gas burner of a bike, instead of making sure that there was more room for food storage. However I simply accepted it, and we prepared for the journey to Rainbase.

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We had arrived in the Casino city of Rainbase the day before yesterday, and we had made sure that he had brought and organized as many Marines as possible. But nothing was happening. No Strawhat, no Zoro, there was no sign of pirates here. There were plenty of the rich and famous who came to spend and make more unnecessary money, but all the unsavory characters seemed to be a bit to smart for their own good and we didn't see any of them.

I didn't think the day would come that I would find myself disliking the sun. We had been walking all morning and I found myself getting light headed and dehydrated so the Captain and I decided to drop into a cafe for a drink. The name was extremely imaginative, 'Sand Cafe', I mean, come on! Is that the best they could do. Apart from that the bar was comfortable enough to sit at, and the fan was working which was an added bonus so we ordered two rounds. I had some fresh and tasty cold water, and the Captain had something less desirable or healthy. It doesn't matter where he is. I say it would be almost impossible for the Captain to ever take a healthy option in anything. He smokes, he drinks, he would prefer to be burning petrol on his bike rather than trying out the local form of transportation. But despite all of his shortcomings I still found myself trusting and admiring his decisions and asking for his opinions in all our different circumstances.

_He had been quiet no for quite some time. He wasn't complaining about the smell of Camel in the city, or how many slackers were in the city. And when he is not complaining you know he is letting his mind wonder on what is important. And that would have to be the Pirates we were searching for._ "Captain Smoker? Why do you think they will be here? What reason would the Strawhats have for coming to Rainbase?"

The Captain took another swig of his pint of … _I can't remember what it was._ "Let's just call it a hunch." He Growled. Some very loud customers came in just then, and were yelling for water. So I had to lean in closer to catch what he was trying to say. _How can people find the energy in all this heat to be so loud?_

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but something stinks." _Okay, so maybe he is back to his complaining_. "I just feel like there is something big lurking in the shadows." _Was he referring to this Mr. Zero or the Strawhats? I wonder if they had arranged something that got out of hand, and now Strawhat Luffy had come back for revenge. But he was still a kid, Was he the type of person who would hold a grudge and take revenge. Why would a crime lord want anything to do with Luffy? And if Mr. Zero was after Luffy, Why was Luffy after Crocodile like Smoker said he was?_

"So then you really do believe then that there is some sort of connection between the baroque works crime organization and the Strawhats crew?"

"The only thing I know for sure is that Strawhat is out to get Crocodile, one of the seven warlords of the sea." Smoker finished, and turned to look to his right, something caught his eye. _I still can't believe that such a young pirate like Luffy would try to go after someone as important and protected like Crocodile. It seems like suicide._

I lifted my mug to drink again, when I notice the Captain staring at two scruffy wanderers. What did the... wait a second... I adjusted my glasses on my nose just a bit to make sure I wasn't seeing things, but it was real. _There was the REAL Strawhat Luffy with one of his other crew mates at the bar drinking water. I had never seen this one before._

They were dressed up in the Alabasta clothing and looked like ragged walkers that had been dying of thirst, and from the way they were gulping down the water from the humongous barrels they had just ordered, one would say that was pretty close to the mark. They also smelt like they had spent to much time baking out in the sun, tracking through who knows what.

The once casual glance turned into an awkward moment as both of our groups came to the realization that the other had seen and acknowledged them. There they sat just one meter away. Their once satisfied full mouths emptied in shock as they spat their water straight at us.

"Run Away!" yelled Luffy, "Protect the water!"

"Damn it!" Smoker got up immediately. "We're going after them. Get the marines Tashigi."

"Sir!" I confirmed while wiping my face down. _I can't believe it! A pirate's mouth load of water has been dosed on me_. I turned back to the counter. "All right," I pulled my wallet, how had they got that wet too?! "How much do I own you?"

The bar woman was mopping down her drenched counter-top. "If you know those brats you had better add all the water they took to your tab!" she replied angrily.

"Of course, I'm so sorry." It was not fare that pirates, left, right, and centre thought they could get away with stealing water. Especially in a desert kingdom like this one where water was extremely scarce. It was just unkind.

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I finished up at the cafe as fast as I could and relayed the orders to every one of the units. Before long we had found the rest of them and had them on the run. When they split up it was slightly hard keeping track of them. Having on local disguises made it easier for them to hide.

I had almost given up hope in finding them within the hour, and I came across another incident by accident. I came into the centre of town and was shocked by the crowd gathered. There seemed to be a lot of commotion in the middle. And I heard a voice that had been haunting me since LogTown.

I heard a mocking jeer, and a man laughing in harsh mirth. "This that all. Really? Pathetic!" He called out to the crowd that was surrounding him as if daring them to attack again. There were piles of dead bodies that had been cut up and dropped infront of him. I hardly recognized him, and it was no wonder. He was wearing a zebra-like patterned cloak and a salmon pink/orange head scarf. If he had said nothing I wouldn't have recognized him either.

However his three swords at his side were a dead give away. "Rowanoa Zoro!" I called out, "I knew we would meat again. I've been looking for you."_I had been, but I wasn't expecting to find him doing this. I thought he was at least slightly more honourable. People do change I suppose. Pirates don't value life._ "What do you think your doing carelessly cutting down civilians like that. That's low even for you!"

He turned around to face me, "Look, I had my own reasons for doing it, alright!" _What are trying to do justify your disgusting actions. That you just cut down 20 people in self defense. Yeah right? _"Besides I have absolutely no desire to fight you again. We settled are dispute FINE in LogueTown!" He sheathed his swords and started to turn away from me.

"We did not!" I yelled. _What was he saying? Did he forget what I told him that day? Or was he still the sort of man who thought that women weren't worth fighting._ "I'm not through, I haven't even dealt you a single blow!" I lifted up Shigure and started to pull her out of the Sheath. I need to accomplish this, or die trying. No Pirate should be aloud to get away without paying for their crimes.

He just stood there for a few minutes staring at me, and waiting. He covered his face as if he was fighting a migraine and then as if a fit of madness hit him he yelled. "... PUT THAT DAMN FACE OF YOURS AWAY! WILL YOU!"

_Ok? WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT? _"What did you say! Are You insulting me! That's a really pathetic tactic! Even for you!" All the nervousness of meeting him again faded away as my hate for him came to the surface. _He hates my face does he? I hate his entire being_. "I'll make you pay!"

"No way! You're the one person I can't handle!" _huh? What did that mean?_ and with that he turned around and ran as fast as he could. Away from me. I hadn't even considered this a possibility. Zoro running away? He never ran away. Did he?

"H … hold it!" I paused in shock then sprinted after him.

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**Yes! Tashigi and Zoro have met up again at last! When I was watching this for the first time in the anime I was really excited and thrilled when they at last, came across one another. What makes this chapter so funny is that Tashigi has been preparing herself for another intense dual and fight against the now famous pirate Zoro, and the first thing he does is to tell her to put her face away, and then to sprint off as far away from her as possible. I don't know about you, but I find that really funny, and if I was Tashigi I would probably be very offended as well. **

**Zoro! she has crossed the seas and oceans in search of you. Can't you do her the honour of spending time with her. **

**:D**


	21. The Lost Leads the Blind

**Chapter 21: I don't own One Piece or any of the Characters in it.**

**I just can't believe it! I have just done a very rough outline of what I would like Tashigi's Heart to be like and it will chapter-wise take me a long... time to complete. I'm a little bit worried. Do I have the patience and skill to carry on? Will I make it to the end?**

**May the Force be with me.**

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Tashigi's Heart: The Lost Leads the Blind

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I'll give him credit for a few things, he most certainly can sprint, and with three swords on one side as well, that would normally unbalance anybody else, but he was moving forward like a cannon ball that had been fired. His energy and speed were incredible, and I was finding it a little difficult to catch up with him. Watching him run, would have given anyone the impression that this man had the grace and agility of a cat, but then they would have got distracted with that zebra- costume. _What … and why would any swordsman wear such a terrible … Did he buy it or ... choose it himself? Don't be stupid! These Pirates probably didn't buy it. Maybe he just found it and decided it would be as good a thing to wear as any, or he stole it. But why would someone want to steal that?_

_I've had enough of this. Wait a moment? I'm quite sure this is the route we took earlier. Are we going back out the way we came in?_ "ZORO! STOP RUNNING LIKE A COWARD AND FACE ME!" I yelled as loud as I could. _With the way he was running, ducking in and out of buildings, and jumping up and over walls I was very impressed with myself that I had managed to keep up with him, but why was he going in circles. Some sort of neat trick to try and deceive me, probably._

"NO WAY! YOU STUPID MARINE! LEAVE ME ALONE AND GO AND PICK ON SOMEONE ELSE!" He looked over his shoulder before jumping over the next wall. "Back there … " he pointed in the direction he was going, "... are plenty enough swords for you to swoon over! You can have them! Courtesy of ME!"

"I DON'T SWOON OVER SWORDS! YOU BASTARD!" I yelled and jumped up after him. He had started to climb up a very old and unused drain pipe. I could hear him wince from the pain of the heat that had been conducted into the object. _That's just one of the reasons I wear and carry around gloves you never know when you could need them. If I follow him up this one he could cut the top section off and knock it to the ground. That is a no go._

"And what did those men do to you that got you so worked up that you would cut them down in the middle of town. Were they all old acquaintances or enemies of yours that you had just got bored of?" At a closer glance I noticed there was a broken part near the top of the pipe. _If I could throw something that would break the joint it would come crashing down. glanced around and a sharp, old tent pole caught my eye. That would work! I looked up, he was about 4 stories high. A fall like that would kill or in Zoro's case wind a man, maybe._

"You have no idea of what is going on Marine!" Zoro called back without looking down. "So just shut up and go back to obeying and being your captain's errand girl and mopping up his mess and mistakes!" _YES, it's confirmed. __**I hate him**__. There is not a splinter of respect now. That was the last straw! And he just snapped it! _I picked up the pole and hurled it at the broken section. It shattered the pipe and inbedded itself into the wall with a loud thud. There was a moment of silence, as Zoro realized what had happened. Our gazes became fixed to the top of the building, one willing it to stay put, and the other wishing it to fall. The creaking started and it began to bend or break backward away from the wall. _Well, that was one awesome javelin throw if I do say so myself. _

"What was that about mopping up mistakes?" I called up to the stranded swordsman. _Now it's my turn to gloat_. "Your right! I don't like trash on the streets especially the kind that creates more trash. You should be locked up for all the trouble and pain you have caused!" I pulled out my sword as he came down. "Give up Zoro!" I yelled,_ I can't believe it. Was this it? Was he going to lose? Focus Tashigi! Don't underestimate him. What could he use? What side would be best to approach for an attack?_ To my astonishment and amazement he didn't wait for it to bend any further, he flipped himself off the building by kicking off the wall and away from the pipe. _What did he think he was doing? Did he want to die?_

He quickly fell the rest of the way down and landed 3 meters away from me as lightly as a cat. _How did he do that? It was if he didn't feel the shock from hitting the ground at all. _It was then that I caught a glimpse of his clothes beneath the patterned cloak._ He is still wearing the same black trousers that he had on when I first saw him, and the same boots, but they look a lot worse for wear than he does. _He stood up slowly and straightened his back. _He just fell three to four stories and didn't even seemed to be batting an eyelid! Wow!_

"No one tells me to '**give up**' and expect to get away with it." he sounded very threatening and dangerous. _Should I be backing up a bit or standing firm. **Shut up**! What are you thinking? You wanted this. You will stand your ground! _

"Well, it's about time you took up a stance against me." _Come on Tashigi, shrug him off. Don't let him get to you_! I shifted Shigure about in my hands getting a firmer grip on the hilt. His head was down and he was inching backwards towards the broken pieces of piping. _Was he going to throw a few?_ "Draw your weapons!" I demanded. _I won't strike again unless he has something to defend himself with._

"No." He then bent down to pick up one of the larger pieces of fruit that had been in the stand before it was hit by the falling pipes._ What are you doing Zoro? Is he was going to eat it?_ He brought it up to his mouth, but then suddenly spun round, I was caught off guard as he lobbed the giant juicy piece of fruit at me. I ducked and it splattered against the wall behind.

Zoro shook his head. "Just like a marine to waste a perfectly good meal, and here am I trying to do you a favour."

"What do you mean by that?!" I yelled, "I ... We don't waste! Sure there are some people who make a few mistakes..."

"Wastage and Marines are always spoken of together in the same sentence." Zoro cut in. "Someone needs to weed through your ranks and get rid of the weaklings." _Weaklings? I suppose he thinks of those sort of people as unnecessary._

"What are **you** doing for the public? Nothing! … but the majority of us are helping and holding up the **weak** citizens of the government from this plagued world of pirates!" I pointed my blade at him. "YOU! Are the type of people who are wasting things! Wasting time, wasting space, wasting food, and wasting multiple supplies of every kind." _you haven't even begun to see what I think about the subject_. "You pirates! Are the reason that so many of the world's greatest treasures have been lost, because of careless planning and reckless behaviour, many pirates have thought to escape on their so called precious and magnificent ships in the middle of terrible storms with their stolen goods only to be dashed to pieces by the sea. Why do you feel the need to take what isn't rightfully yours?! Why can't you just find a job that pays well and be content!"

He had been listening to me quietly, but once I mentioned a job he started... "Ha! Ha! Ha!" I stopped talking. _Zoro was laughing_? He stopped after 5 or so seconds, turned his back on me, and picked up another piece of fruit from the abandoned store. "If all the pirates stopped being pirates that would put **you** out of commission wouldn't it?" He bit into the fruit and turned back to look me in the eye. _HOW DARE HE!_ I looked down at the fruit in his hands._ I bet he didn't have any money for that either! _ "Marines?" He looked thoughtful. "They wouldn't have anything to do, anyone to catch, or to blame for their problems." He paused and grinned at me from underneath his head guard. "If there weren't pirates you wouldn't be a Marine, and if I wasn't a pirate you wouldn't be here now. So overall, you should be thanking me for making your life exciting and bearable."

I looked at the half munched segment of fruit in his hand. "You gonna pay for that?!" I asked. _I bet he won't._

"No! **you** can," He shrugged his shoulders as if he had no care in the world. "...since you're the one who caused the piping to fall on this shop stall anyway. You should take responsibility." _I knew it! The Bastard! _He grinned and wedged what remained of the fruit into his mouth.

Before I could reply, he jumped up on top of the roof of the collapsed stall and pulled himself onto the window ledge above him, then jumped up and latched himself onto the sandy edge of the roof of the building. I watched in shock as I saw him adjust his grip and then pull himself up as if it was nothing.

"Well," He sighed. "I would be lying if I said it was nice to see you, but thanks for the food and I hope not to see you again." He pulled the fruit out of his mouth and took a few more bites, and then chucked it at me. "Bye!" He waved and took off over the roofs, jumping from one roof to the other effortlessly, and was gone out of sight.

"Damn it!" He had got away again. He was heading back in the direction of which we came. Should be easy enough to find him again.

**.**

**.**

"Captain Smoker?"

"I wonder where Captain Smoker could have gotten to. He must still be chasing after Strawhat but..." I took a turn down a narrow alleyway. I had lost track of Zoro. So I was now trying to find my Captain. I had been so sure that I had kept an eye on Zoro and had followed him down the right streets, but he was amazingly fast. That was something I would have to work on.

"Stop! You can't!" something yelled out me. And I tripped over it, and landed on my face again.

Oh, no not again. My glasses where are they?

"This is just great. I'm helpless without them." I felt the ground in-front of me for any trace of them. Please don't be broken. I heard someone groan and fall. "Oh no," Was he hurt?!

"Excuse me sir? You haven't passed out have you?" Everything was a bit blurry, but I could make out an old man with a top hat and a white vest lying there on the ground. I put my hand on his stomach, and then touched his shoulder and shook him a little. "Come on you say something." I hated it when civilians got hurt by accident.

"Sergeant Major Tashigi! We've been looking for you mam."

"I'll be right there." How on earth will I manage to fight or protect anyone without my glasses. I might as well be fighting blind.

"Um," "are these...?"

"Oh, nice! You found my glasses. Your such a kind person." After I had just bowled into him as well.

"Thank you very much for you help." I said cheerfully. "I'll be seeing you." I bowed a farewell, and winced a bit. My eyes were still aching, maybe I needed new prescription. It just sucked being part blind. I felt like I was missing out on something very important.

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**Well I liked that chapter. About Time we saw some more of Zoro. **


	22. Calm before the Storm

**Chapter 22: I do not own the 600 something plus episodes of One Piece, and I never will, and I never want to, and I never could have come up with such a weird and wonderful idea, and I never would have been able to have such patience with it. **

**...and so the story continues. The Strawhats have left Rainbase and are journeying to the capital.**

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Tashigi's Heart: Calm before the Storm.

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Night had come over the land like a shadow. The desert was as voiceless as a tomb. Not a sound could be heard for miles. The sky was empty of any promise of rain and as the sun went beyond the horizon a blue hue covered the sky before it fell into darkness. Looking out at this time almost deceived you into believing that it was a sea, rising up and falling down, up and down. And as if trying to raise my hopes, the full moon came up out of the sea of sand ready to light up the way for any enemy or ally on their way to Alubarna. The impression of loneliness that I felt so strongly in this land waned a bit as I saw this familiar friend._There was some hope left wasn't there? This was all as unreal as a dream._

I was sitting on an upturned bucket that had been used once for the well that was 10 metres away, but that thing had long since been dried up. Everything was so barren here. There was no dew, not a cloud in sight or a droplet of water to be found in this parched land. _I feel like the desert. There hasn't been any rain in my life for some time now. Death is a constant. I have seen it far too much recently, and now there was going to be a war. And we have to go and help to prevent it. There wasn't any choice in the matter. Or maybe there was? I don't know. We weren't even meant to be here. What right did we have to interfere with this country's system of rule.I feel sick to the stomach._

What has happened down south quickly became common news, and most people were divided, even families._ Do we really have any right to judge these people? Our job is simply to keep the peace, uphold the law, and defend the citizens of this country. But what now? How can we defend them, when they are fighting each other? What had Captain Smoker been talking to head quarters about? And what were we going to do? Come on Captain! What were you doing? And where were you? I need direction. I want an order._

As if he could read my mind he sent for me. And although I've seen him in a rush before nothing could prepare me for seeing him getting ready to depart on his bike as if he had totally disregarded everything that had happened today. _He's leaving to go somewhere? Now?_

"Hey Tashigi." 'H_ey?' What sort of greeting is that at a time like this_? The Captain continued, "I want to you to organized everyone and get them ready to leave for Alubarna." I waited... _That was it?_

"Me? Go to Alubarna?"_All by myself? Where was he going? Is he not coming to? _

_No! Ask what's needs to be asked!_

"Are we chasing after the Strawhat Pirates..." _or getting involved in a war? _"Or Reinforcing the Royal Army?"

"That's up to you. You'll have to decide what is more important to you when you get there." _The war is obviously more important, but I/we can't get involved. The government has made it a declaration that we marines were not to get involved in internal affairs. What were we supposed to do?_

"But, Sir I don't understand? What's going on?" _Please at least give me something to go on. What are you keeping from me Smoker? _Smoker stepped into/onto his bike. It would always get cold in the desert and at the speed Smoker likes to travel he would definitely feel it tonight.

He wasn't looking at me, but it was as if he had a new confidence in the impossible. I could almost feel a change come over him. "Rely on your sense of Justice." he said and pulled his gloves on over his hands. "Whatever happens, I'll accept responsibility." _What do you mean by that? You are really leaving all the decision making to me? I'm not sure I ready to be leading these men out to death into this battle._

"Captain, Where are you going?" _Is it necessary to leave right now? Right when we need you the most._

"I have to head out to sea, something unforeseen has come up." He adjusted the goggles on his head, and pulled them down into his face to cover his eyes. "Be on alert to receive communication from me at any time."

"Right." I answered. _Everything that has been happening as of late is as unusual as a sailor on horseback. I have no idea what to expect next._

"I need you to keep a vigilant eye on this country and where it ends up." _Really, Smoker you're just going to leave it at that?_ "Whether it falls or whether it survives, a dawn of a brand new and historic age is on the horizon."

His words sink in as the importance of them hit me like waves of a broken damn. He starts up his engine and zooms off into the desert, accelerating south down to the coastline as if he had no more time to waste. I felt like my worth and usefulness had dropped down even lower. Knowledge is power. And so far we weren't any better off than when we started.

_So this is what happens at the dawn of new ages in history. A hollow emptiness spreads into peoples' lives and bitter accusations are thrown at neighbors and enemies alike from across street corners and over deserts. _

"Sergeant Major!" _I still am not sure what to do_. _**Keep calm! Think clearly!**_

_Your choices will have a massive effect on what might be achieved._

"Sergeant Major!" _I am representing the Government and the Marines here. I haven't the right to kill any Alabastian citizens. Nor do I want to._

"Your orders?" _I needed to give the orders they are still waiting._

"Yes," _**Make your decision Tashigi! **_

_**I know! We can not forcible take sides in this?**_

I take a deep breath, all the group leaders and squad lieutenants are here and they expect a good decision. "**Our target is the Pirate, Strawhat Luffy and everyone who serves under him. All hands, fortify our equipment for travel! Make preparations to depart for Alubarna**!"

_That was it. It had been decided. We were supposed to protect these people from outlaws and cut-throats, not from themselves. And our duty was clear._

"Straw hat Luffy." _Who are you really? And what were you doing chasing after Crocodile. I didn't like the way the Captain reacted to hearing his name mentioned. Something was going down that terrible and cruel. Why would a king of his own country shoot down men and women from one of his own cities. Something just didn't feel right. How can people say 'All's fair in love and war.' There wasn't nothing fare about any of this and it sickens me to know I'm in the dark. I know nothing._

_._


End file.
